Detroit Red Wings Trade History: Best and Worst Trades of All-Time

[LastWordArmy]

The History of Trade is a mini series going through each team’s best and worst trades of all time. Each team has their own history and some may cross over, but the series will try to stick to each team. This article will focus on the Detroit Red Wings trade history, finding the best and worst of all time.

http://lastwordonhockey.com/2017/08/21/detroit-red-wings-trade-history/

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[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

For any trade I've experienced in my lifetime, the worst trade begins and ends with Adam Oates. Though the Adam Graves one wasn't great either.

As for best, probably Shanny? Getting Stuart for a couple picks was a good one too.

 

[Shaman464]

If Detroit won back to back cups in the late 00's I would argue that the Stuart trade would at least be top 3 ever.

 

[Lil Sebastian Cossa]

Best - 1999 Chris Chelios.

Anders Eriksson and two 1sts that amounted to crap for 5 years at least of a legit top pairing guy in old man Chelly and another couple years of an aged Chelly who was still worlds better than what we are currently throwing out there. Also, a huge front office presence now that he's retired.

Jimmy Carson and friends for Paul Coffey and friends. Legit offensive superstar on the backend that we eventually turned into THE key pickup for our Cup teams. Hall of Famer for a guy who had one or two 100 point seasons in the 80s.

Worst - Adam Oates.

HoFer for eminently replaceable parts.

 

[PelagicJoe]

The worst trade easily was the Oates trade.

Best trades: we made out like bandits when we got Shanahan, Larry Murphy, Chelios, Larionov, etc. Tie between Shanny and Murphy.

 

[PelagicJoe]

For any trade I've experienced in my lifetime, the worst trade begins and ends with Adam Oates. Though the Adam Graves one wasn't great either.

As for best, probably Shanny? Getting Stuart for a couple picks was a good one too.

I forgot about Adam Graves completely. That was a bad trade. In fact that might be worse. I looked it up. Looks like we traded Petr Klima and Joe Murphy along with him.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

I forgot about Adam Graves completely. That was a bad trade. In fact that might be worse. I looked it up. Looks like we traded Petr Klima and Joe Murphy along with him.

Yup. Graves, Klima and Murphy for essentially Jimmy Carson, who was overvalued, probably because of his role in The Trade.

Carson never matched the production he had in Edmonton, mostly due to injury if memory serves. But I guess the Wings wanted to bring a hometown boy to Detroit.

Graves hadn't played a whole lot for Detroit but enough games that they should've realized the kind of player they had.

 

[Winger98]

With the Oates trade, I think there was some stuff going on off the ice that precipitated that move. At the very least, he was not liking being second billing to Yzerman every night. A problem we'd see come up with a few other guys, too.

Yup. Graves, Klima and Murphy for essentially Jimmy Carson, who was overvalued, probably because of his role in The Trade.

Carson never matched the production he had in Edmonton, mostly due to injury if memory serves. But I guess the Wings wanted to bring a hometown boy to Detroit.

Graves hadn't played a whole lot for Detroit but enough games that they should've realized the kind of player they had.

Yeah, I think he had knee and shoulder injuries. The guy could have been a great player, and it just didn't pan out. If it had, we wouldn't have missed Graves, Klima, or Murphy.

 

[Reality Check]

Murphy and Carson were two guys who had a ton of potential but never really lived up to it.

Klima's issues were already well known. Graves seemed like he was the throw-in and wound up being better than them all.

I'm not sure if Edmonton lost him in FA or traded him. But he never really took off until landing in New York.

 

[FireBird71]

Hasek was one of the best

 

[DetroitRed]

I think the last one that worked out well for the Wings was when they traded for Bertuzzi, eight years ago. He was a pleasant surprise.

Maybe the worst in recent years was letting go of Patrick Eaves as a part of a package for a return of one David Legwand, who was a bad fit.

I don't know about all-time.

 

[Heaton]

I think the last one that worked out well for the Wings was when they traded for Bertuzzi, eight years ago. He was a pleasant surprise.

Maybe the worst in recent years was letting go of Patrick Eaves as a part of a package for a return of one David Legwand, who was a bad fit.

I don't know about all-time.

The Bertuzzi trade ended up being fantastic, the Wings lost nothing and gained a solid veteran.

 

[DetroitRed]

The Bertuzzi trade ended up being fantastic, the Wings lost nothing and gained a solid veteran.

Yeah, and more than just a solid veteran, he was the type of player who could rise to the occasion and put the team on his shoulders, through a stretch, if he had to.

 

[njx9]

...

Getting Stuart for a couple picks was a good one too.

If Detroit won back to back cups in the late 00's I would argue that the Stuart trade would at least be top 3 ever.

I think I was always watching a different Brad Stuart than apparently everyone else. Every time I'd watch, he'd be in the middle of a bad turnover or an idiotic pass, or something like that.

I guess that's a consequence of the terrible TV coverage we were getting, but I've had such a negative opinion of him as a player for so long now, and it's apparently completely incorrect.

 

[Frk It]

I think I was always watching a different Brad Stuart than apparently everyone else. Every time I'd watch, he'd be in the middle of a bad turnover or an idiotic pass, or something like that.

I guess that's a consequence of the terrible TV coverage we were getting, but I've had such a negative opinion of him as a player for so long now, and it's apparently completely incorrect.

He was rough his last year or two here. His first 2 years here he was great. 07-08 playoffs on that Cup run he was amazing.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

I think I was always watching a different Brad Stuart than apparently everyone else. Every time I'd watch, he'd be in the middle of a bad turnover or an idiotic pass, or something like that.

I guess that's a consequence of the terrible TV coverage we were getting, but I've had such a negative opinion of him as a player for so long now, and it's apparently completely incorrect.

Mainly I was referring to Stuarts play in 08 and 09. In 08 he gave the Wings a top 4 of Lidstrom, Rafalski, Kronwall and Stuart. All were playing 20+ minutes a game in the post season, with Lilja, Chelios and Lebda rounding out the bottom pair each playing under 14 minutes.

Remove Stuart from the lineup and move everyone up a slot and the Wings blueline isn't nearly as good. Plus he added a physical element they needed.

In general I think Stuart's regular season play was serviceable but he always seemed to up his game in the playoffs. I think he was a key move in the 08 Cup win.

 

[njx9]

He was rough his last year or two here. His first 2 years here he was great. 07-08 playoffs on that Cup run he was amazing.

And maybe it's just that last year that sticks out in my mind for some reason...

I think he was a key move in the 08 Cup win.

While I was clearly wrong (I don't think I've read a single opinion that agrees with my thoughts at the time), I think it's fascinating that this seems to be the clear majority view and it's so at odds from what I remember. Time to find some old game tapes, I think.

 

[Cyborg Yzerberg]

And maybe it's just that last year that sticks out in my mind for some reason...



While I was clearly wrong (I don't think I've read a single opinion that agrees with my thoughts at the time), I think it's fascinating that this seems to be the clear majority view and it's so at odds from what I remember. Time to find some old game tapes, I think.

Our defensive depth was really hurting going into the deadline in 2008. We were super top heavy with two number 1 defensemen in Lidstrom and Rafalski, and a really, really good number 3 defenseman in Kronwall, but after those three, the blue line sort of took a nose dive. Lilja and Lebda were serviceable, but we needed a guy like Brad Stuart in the worst way. And he was the perfect complement to that group. Stuart regressed in the worst way, but he was definitely the final piece of the 2008 team.

 

[vladdy16]

I think I was always watching a different Brad Stuart than apparently everyone else. Every time I'd watch, he'd be in the middle of a bad turnover or an idiotic pass, or something like that.

I guess that's a consequence of the terrible TV coverage we were getting, but I've had such a negative opinion of him as a player for so long now, and it's apparently completely incorrect.

I think you're closer to the truth. Stuart was an established #4 that was necessary for us. He had his strengths, but as a player type he was a misfit on that team.

 

[Avery Rule]

Trying to remember back to the Shanny trade, why didn't Glynn ever play? I never really got to see him play on any other teams so wasnt sure about him.

 

[Winger98]

Trying to remember back to the Shanny trade, why didn't Glynn ever play? I never really got to see him play on any other teams so wasnt sure about him.

wasn't very good and our club was pretty deep.

 

[Cursed Lemon]

With the Oates trade, I think there was some stuff going on off the ice that precipitated that move. At the very least, he was not liking being second billing to Yzerman every night. A problem we'd see come up with a few other guys, too.

I will never understand how these guys think playing under Yzerman would hurt them rather than help them.

It's actually ****ing baffling.

 

[njx9]

I will never understand how these guys think playing under Yzerman would hurt them rather than help them.

It's actually ****ing baffling.

I don't think it's about hurting them, as much as some guys want to be the first one the proverbial TV reporters talk to in the locker room after a game. I think it's short-sighted, but I get it - if you're a HOF-level player (or you think you are), it can be a bit galling to never get top billing on your own team or in your own town.

 

[Cursed Lemon]

I don't think it's about hurting them, as much as some guys want to be the first one the proverbial TV reporters talk to in the locker room after a game. I think it's short-sighted, but I get it - if you're a HOF-level player (or you think you are), it can be a bit galling to never get top billing on your own team or in your own town.

It's stupid, though. If anything, getting 2nd line matchups ought to bolster your career options if you eventually want to go find your way in the wild.

 

[Lil Sebastian Cossa]

It's stupid, though. If anything, getting 2nd line matchups ought to bolster your career options if you eventually want to go find your way in the wild.

Ego.

If you think you're the best around, you want to get treated like you're the best around.

It might even be advantageous to hang around and feast on second line matchups, but that won't help when you get the gnawing feeling at your heart that you're not getting the credit you deserve.

See Rocky 5. Tommy Gunn dominated people and ran to the title. But the whole time, he was Rocky's boy and everything was "Rocky this, rocky that". The climax of the movie happens because he listens to the Don King knockoff and goes off on his own because he wanted to have the spotlight on himself. Whereas in that movie world, if he had just stayed with Rocky, he'd be further along because he was wrecking crap left and right when he did that.