Worst Rangers trade of all time

[Beacon]

Gartner for Anderson is not the worst, but it should get more mention. Gartner was a first line star, Anderson was totally washed up. He was a playoff performer his whole career, but not when he came to New York. The guy was our worst player in the Cup run, quickly going from the first to the fourth line.

 

[Barnaby]

Why is this the case?

I'm speculating that the Rangers would have eventually signed him. I don't see them letting him walk for nothing. I know talks had broken down... but I still felt like it would get done.

 

[SA16]

Going back through all the old trades the most recent trade I can find that looks pretty bad is Rucinsky to Vancouver for Grenier/Umberger

 

[Edge]

I'm surprised no one mentioned Leetch.

While the trade itself wasn't bad, and I understood/understand the timing and the intent, the reality is that we didn't get a heck of a whole lot out of the package we received.

Kondratiev and Immonen never materialized as NHLers.

Korpikoski is a third liner.

Sauer could've been a top-4, but was (literally) knocked out of the game.

 

[Edge]

Going back through all the old trades the most recent trade I can find that looks pretty bad is Rucinsky to Vancouver for Grenier/Umberger

The whole Umberger deal was weird.

Even at the time I remember thinking he was worth more than the second rounder they were going to get for him.

I've heard conflicting reports on what actually happened.

Some said there were attitude concerns, others said he didn't want to sign, others said the Rangers balked.

One of the few instances where I struggled to come away with at least a semi-clear answer as to what transpired.

 

[NYRangers3061]

Keep in mind you'd be paying Dubinsky/Anisimov 10 million and complaining that you don't have a top line scorer. His salary isn't bad - dollar value is fair and the term is good.

Nash WAS a top line scorer, even as recent as last year. He has shown no signs of being able to score at a top line pace since last years' playoffs.

 

[SA16]

The whole Umberger deal was weird.

Even at the time I remember thinking he was worth more than the second rounder they were going to get for him.

I've heard conflicting reports on what actually happened.

Some said there were attitude concerns, others said he didn't want to sign, others said the Rangers balked.

One of the few instances where I struggled to come away with at least a semi-clear answer as to what transpired.

I can't really remember the whole situation except that he was a good prospect and wouldn't sign with the Rangers. Seems odd though that the Rangers would have dealt for him without actually knowing whether or not he would sign with them (for whatever terms they were offering). It's a weird deal though because as the time Rucinsky was - as usual - in the midst of a very solid season and 32 years old. Though I guess looking back on it he was presumably a UFA after that year since he then resigned with the Rangers post-lock out. And that the team wasn't going anywhere in 03-04 so they might have thought it was worth the risk on Umberger especially since they got a pick for him not signing.

 

[ReggieDunlop68]

I got to give a shout out to the Henrik Lundvist Ranger of his era, Gump Worsley for Jacques Plante.

 

[True Blue]

Why is this the case?

I never quite understood that side of the argument either.

 

[True Blue]

Was never a fan of the Kris King/Tie Domi trades for Eddie O.

 

[mike14]

I'm surprised no one mentioned Leetch.

While the trade itself wasn't bad, and I understood/understand the timing and the intent, the reality is that we didn't get a heck of a whole lot out of the package we received.

Kondratiev and Immonen never materialized as NHLers.

Korpikoski is a third liner.

Sauer could've been a top-4, but was (literally) knocked out of the game.

2 prospects a first and a second for a 36 (?) y/o d man who was on his last legs? I think the return was pretty good, we just didn't do all that well with the Korpi pick and got unlucky with an injury.

I still think we were too hasty in deciding Immonen wasn't going to be an NHLer but he was squeezed out by his lack of speed and the signing of both Gomez and Drury plus the emergence of Dubi

 

[True Blue]

Was not a fan of watching Tinordi patrol the Dallas backline for many years either. Did we give him and Norstrom away around the same time?

 

[Machinehead]

Zubov for a slow and unskilled Ulf Samuelsson.

Classic case of putting "toughness" first and hockey second.

 

[True Blue]

I'm surprised no one mentioned Leetch.

While the trade itself wasn't bad, and I understood/understand the timing and the intent, the reality is that we didn't get a heck of a whole lot out of the package we received.

The trade was a bad trade for the return that was given. I remember being outraged that Cola was not included in the deal. I think that the trade was the right move, but that someone did not do enough homework on the return.

 

[Ghost of jas]

From the 70's

Middleton for Hodge is the all-time worst, but giving up Ratelle and Park for Espo and Vadnais sucked. The first trade doesn't happen without the 2nd one.

From the 80's

Ridley'Miller for Carpenter......the absolute worst of the multitude of Espo deals.

But giving up a #1 for Bergeron, and giving up the opportunity to draft JR? Criminal.

From the 90's

The Nedved/Zubov deal really sucked, given that Smith could have had either Selanne or KT for a similar package.

But, the Kurri was depressing, especially giving up Norstrom. Imagine having a a top 4 of Leetch/Beuke and Norstrom/Zubov.

From the 2000's

Some of the firesale deals really turned out to be crap, but the one that annoyed me was giving up Nedved for a lesser package to Edmonton, when David Poile said he offered two 2nd round picks for him. Oh, and taking Jozef Balez instead of Tomas Plekanec? What the hell was going on with that scouting staff?

 

[Kaapo di tutti capi]

Marc Savard to Calgary...

I remember hearing that Savard was a prima donna which is why he was moved - no idea if that is legit or not - just a rumor going around at the time.

 

[E-Train]

Was not a fan of watching Tinordi patrol the Dallas backline for many years either. Did we give him and Norstrom away around the same time?

Another atrocious deal. The deals were 8 years apart, 88 & 96 respectively. Giving away Dave Gagner was pretty bad too.

 

[E-Train]

Well before my time like the Espo and Middleton deals, but dealing Moose DuPont was pretty horrendous too.

The Ridley deal was the first real horror I remember fully. I was a fan when the Duguay deal went down but really young.

 

[member 116805]

What did we end up giving SJ for Clowe? 2 2nds and a 3rd?

 

[mike14]

What did we end up giving SJ for Clowe? 2 2nds and a 3rd?

2nd, 3rd, 5th. The 5th would have been a 2nd if he'd resigned

Edit - the 3rd was from the Panthers

 

[NYR713]

In recent memory, maybe the Nash deal, maybe the St. Louis deal

Callahan, 2014 1st, 2015 1st for St. Louis (one 1 and 1/2 years, of being average)

basically Anisimov, Dubinsky, 2013 1st for Nash(overpaid)

For recent times, I'll agree with the Callahan/MSL trade. NYR could have either kept Callahan for the run or sent him off for some sort of asset rather than send him off with 2 first round picks.

I can't agree on the Nash deal though.

 

[member 116805]

2nd, 3rd, 5th. The 5th would have been a 2nd if he'd resigned

Edit - the 3rd was from the Panthers

Didn't the 5th turn into a 2nd because NYR reached the Conference Final? Or am I mixing things up here...?

 

[eco's bones]

Phil Esposito and Carol Vadnais were not a major downgrade for us from Jean Ratelle and Brad Park. Esposito was definitely the better center over Ratelle at the time of the trade. Espo had won scoring titles. He'd been instrumental in both of Boston's cup wins. They were relatively the same age. Espo was more of a leader. One of the major issues with Ratelle was that he was an underachieving playoff player. He improved on that after he went to Boston but all in all that analysis was spot on for his time as a Ranger. Park was without doubt a better player than Vadnais but Vadnais was still a very good defenseman.

Rick Middleton for Hodge IMO is the worst trade the Rangers made maybe ever. A kid at the beginning of his career for one of Espo's pals at the end of his career. Middleton was arguably Boston's best forward for over a decade. A team that made several Cup runs and never missed the playoffs. Hodge played on full year for us--maybe a quarter of a season the next year--went to the minors and never played in the NHL again.

Trading Ridley and Miller for Carpenter who got moved on to LA for Marcel Dionne (at the tail end of a glorious career) was really bad as well.

Did not like the trade that sent Mattias Norstrom among others to the Kings for basically three washed up players--Jari Kurri, Marty McSorley and Shane Churla. It was a rental gearing up for the playoffs thing--the Rangers reunited all these old Oiler's teammates.

Zubov and Nedved for Robitaille and Samuellson did not work out great for us but neither Robitaille or Samuelsson were awful. They were still good players. Robitaille for whatever reason just did not click in New York--when he moved on again he went back to being the goal scorer he had been before. That's an example of a trade that should have been better than it turned out.

The Middleton deal is the worst of them all. You don't trade a kid with tons of talent for a guy who is at the end of the line.

 

[Ratelleitlikeitis]

Unfortunately I couldn't watch these guys play due to my age but if I'm reading these numbers right (thank you Hockey-Reference) the only thing keeping Brad Park from winning the Norris trophy every year was arguably the greatest player in the history of the league lol.

What was the rationale behind moving him and Ratelle for Espo? It looks like Jean produced very effectively even at the end of his career.

I was fourteen when this happened and Ratelle and Park were my favourite players from the time I could walk to the corner store to buy a pack of hockey cards.
Why did it happen? I'm not sure but it would have been interesting if today's media world had existed to give Emile Francis the business.
Boston was losing Orr to surgery so Park became their target. He was 26 and Vadnais was 29. Vadnais had just had a 75 point season but he was not Brad Park. Espo was 32 and Ratelle was 34 but both were still producing and would continue to.
True, our core was aging and our defence was suspect with Dale Rolfe and Rod Seiling on the decline or gone, Gilles Marotte, a young Ron Greschner and the upcoming draft of Dave Maloney.
Maybe Francis thought Ratelle was going to decline at 34 and perhaps there were injury concerns. Did Francis think the core needed a shake up? Rod Gilbert continued on with multiple 30 goal seasons afterwards. Would he not have continued that with his longtime centre still there? If Francis had held true and let Park lead a developing younger D corps while Ratelle/Gilbert rode on supported by Tkachuk, Vickers and Fairbairn who knows what would have happened?
In 2008 Park's quote about the trade was "I'm still ticked". So are many Ranger fans, no thanks to the Cat. He seemed to hold the cards. At worst, by standing pat he would have iced a talented roster that would have to contend with mid seventies Philly. In hindsight maybe he should have held out for blockbuster younger talent to build with instead of getting the aging status quo.

 

[Mac n Gs]

I don't know why, but I've never liked the Tim Erixon trade. I guess it's mostly hindsight now, but that just seemed like a waste of assets