Biggest age differential in a trade

WarriorOfGandhi

Was saying Boo-urns
Jul 31, 2007
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I was wondering if the recent Wishart-Roloson trade would make the (obscure) record books as the largest age differential for two traded players -- Wishart is 22, Roloson is 41. I did a bit of digging, figuring Gordie Howe would probably be an easy answer, but he obviously wasn't traded during his career. The most recent big gap was between Recchi and Karsums/Lashoff, but that was only 20 years. I can't find any prospects/roster players that had that much of a differential, but draft picks make it easier. Whoever Boston drafted with the pick from the Bourque trade could have been as much as 22 years older than Ray. The rights to Roberts (and Malone) for a 3rd round pick could be a differential of as many as 25(!) years. Are there any others?
 

Zaphod

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Mar 24, 2008
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Victoria, BC
It becomes a little easier with draft picks, but the difference between Recchi and those kids seems like an easy winner in this category, it's not like there are an abundance of 41+ year old players swapping teams.

Martin Samuelsson was selected with the traded pick in the Bourque deal...

edit- okay, Jersey and Boston swapped picks, so technically the 22nd pick (David Hale) was part of the deal for Bourque.
 

mco543

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Aug 14, 2006
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My first thought was the Oates to Philadelphia trade for Maxim Ouellet but that's only about 19 years.
 

FiveForDrawingBlood

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May 25, 2010
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Hodge for Middleton would be one because of the quality of players involved. Hodge was done and Middleton was just starting his career
 

reckoning

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Jan 4, 2005
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If we're counting draft picks, I think it would be Toronto trading Jacques Plante (44 yrs old) for Boston's 1st round pick which turned out to be Ian Turnbull (19 yrs old at the time of the trade).
 

Crosbyfan

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Nov 27, 2003
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It becomes a little easier with draft picks, but the difference between Recchi and those kids seems like an easy winner in this category, it's not like there are an abundance of 41+ year old players swapping teams.

Martin Samuelsson was selected with the traded pick in the Bourque deal...

edit- okay, Jersey and Boston swapped picks, so technically the 22nd pick (David Hale) was part of the deal for Bourque.

If draft picks count we might have to go back to some of Sam Pollocks old trades, when he collected future picks for Montreal from desperate expansion teams. Some of those eventual picks must have been pretty young at the time.

Edit: I see the Plante one above-that would be hard to beat.
 

iamjs

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Oct 1, 2008
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Hurricanes traded Ron Francis for a 2005 4th round pick. The pick was eventually traded to Columbus, who used it to draft Jared Boll.

At the time of the trade:
Francis: 41 years, 8 days
Boll: 17 years, 9 months, 26 days

Difference is roughly 24 years, 2 months and 2 weeks.

Still falls short of the above Plante trade by about a year.
 

oil4life97

Registered User
Aug 10, 2005
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Nieundyk for Iginla comes to mind but wont compare to some of the other trades already mentioned.
 

Psycho Papa Joe

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Feb 27, 2002
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19 year, 11 month difference in age between Ray Bourque and Martin Grenier when they were involved in the Boston/Colorado trade. I think that might be the record for actual players dealt for eachother, rather than a future draft pick.
 

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