Jimmy Carson with Edmonton (1988-89)

[The Panther]

Does anybody besides me remember Jimmy Carson with Edmonton during 1988-89, and, yeah, the first four games of the next season?

There have been Carson threads before about what his potential might have been, etc., and there's that memorable "What Ever Happened to Jimmy Carson?" article by The Hockey Writers: http://thehockeywriters.com/what-ever-happened-to-jimmy-carson/

But do you remember him playing for Edmonton during 1988-89? I was 12 or 13 back then, and so hero-worshiped the Oilers and followed them closely. I'd already been a fan of Carson from his previous season with L.A., and once I got over the shock of the Gretzky 'trade', I was kind of excited to see Carson play for Edmonton. I figured he'd be great, and probably score 50+ goals and a bunch of points, etc.

Carson later painted the portrait of himself as the victim of the trade, saying that the fans couldn't accept him as the replacement for Gretzky. I must say, I never bought that silly argument. Nobody in their right mind expected Carson to replace Gretzky, and I don't remember Edmonton fans being disappointed with him at all (well, maybe until the playoffs).

In fact, he scored at a furious rate after a slow start to the season. He scored twice on opening night against the Islanders, and then went cold for eight games. With 6 goals in the first 15 games, he seemed to be fighting it a bit. Then he went crazy in the next 27 games, scoring 28 goals. At that point, he was on pace for 61, a career high. But then he scored only 7 in his next 25 games...! He ended up with 49 goals (only 5 fewer than Gretzky in L.A.), and 100 points, which was only 2 fewer than Jari Kurri for the team lead. But he certainly cooled off over the late-part of the season, and then disappointed in the playoffs (most-bizarre-series-ever, as it was) against L.A., with 3 points in 7 games.

What I've never understood is how he agreed to come back the next season, but then lasted only 4 games before quitting on the team and sitting out. Like, why did he agree to come back in the first place? (Thus was the first in a long line of players who demanded trades out of Edmonton or refused to come.)

I absolutely reject the idea that Edmonton fans were disappointed in Carson or expected him to 'replace' Gretzky (good luck with that). My memory is that fans welcomed him with open arms and cheered him on. It's clear that he didn't "fit in" with the very-local Canadian hockey culture in the Edmonton dressing room, but did that in any way justify his quitting on the team? Sather pulled off a coup by getting Klima, Murphy, and Graves for Carson in November 1989, which basically won the 1990 Stanley Cup for Edmonton.

Why do you think Carson quit on Edmonton, as he did? Why did he come back to the team in September 1989, if he was just going to quit a week or two later?

How would he have done if he'd stayed there? The Oilers were still stacked with talent in 1989-90, and Carson could have taken a back-seat to Messier and ridden his coat-tails a bit without having to worry about being a #1 center. Would the Oilers have in any way won that Cup with Carson (and not Klima, Murphy, Graves) on board?

Carson scored more goals as a teenager (92) than any other player in NHL history. He was a near-certain Hall of Famer in 1988/89 at 21. By age 24, he was frequently scratched. By 26, he was basically done in the NHL. Would all that decline have been avoided if he'd stuck it out in Edmonton? (He ended up in Detroit, where he wanted to go, but was low on the totem-pole there with a lot of good centers.)

Click to read more...

 

[deletethis]

Why he wanted out of Edmonton: Probably saw Gretzky orchestrate his exit and decided that he wanted a big pay day elsewhere as well.

Why his career waned: Probably wasn't in very good shape and wore down faster than your average star player. I don't remember him being a great skater, that may have caught up with him.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

complete speculation, but i'm guessing the older guys rode him pretty hard, which would have been for his own good and to make him a better player, and he couldn't handle it so he asked out. you could maybe say he was ahead of his time as a jonathan drouin or cody hodgson-type.

as for what could have been if he'd stayed, can you imagine carson on the oilers second line with tikkanen and kurri? that's probably exactly the kind of player you wouldn't want on that line (slow, soft, can't play defense). and he certainly isn't going to supplant mact on the checking line, so where does that leave carson? centering rookie martin gelinas and a plug on the fourth line?

or maybe muckler plays him with tikkanen and kurri. do they even get past winnipeg?

 

[seventieslord]

Carson was, at that time, better than Murphy, Graves or Klima, but the three of them together solidified the team's middle 6 forwards more than Carson and whoever else would have. They wouldn't have won the cup with him IMO.

Murphy also was strangely clutch for a player you'd expect to be the opposite of clutch.

 

[The Panther]

as for what could have been if he'd stayed, can you imagine carson on the oilers second line with tikkanen and kurri? that's probably exactly the kind of player you wouldn't want on that line (slow, soft, can't play defense). and he certainly isn't going to supplant mact on the checking line, so where does that leave carson? centering rookie martin gelinas and a plug on the fourth line?

or maybe muckler plays him with tikkanen and kurri. do they even get past winnipeg?

He did center Kurri and Tikkanen in 1988-89. Kurri was team MVP and Tikkanen had the best statistical season of his career.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

He did center Kurri and Tikkanen in 1988-89. Kurri was team MVP and Tikkanen had the best statistical season of his career.

and that team with carson centering kurri and tikkanen won how many playoff rounds? i mean, of course tik - carson - kurri could score regular season points...

1990 mark lamb... a smaller guy, but he was fast, played hard, was very good defensively. it was by far the best he'd ever played in his career but as i recall he added a dimension to that second line that it didn't have the year before. that line tore apart winnipeg in games 5-7 during that comeback didn't they?

how did '89 jimmy carson do in the playoffs? legit question; i have no recollection and don't just want to guess from the stats.

 

[The Panther]

1990 mark lamb... a smaller guy, but he was fast, played hard, was very good defensively. it was by far the best he'd ever played in his career but as i recall he added a dimension to that second line that it didn't have the year before. that line tore apart winnipeg in games 5-7 during that comeback didn't they?

Yes, Mark Lamb played the best hockey of his life early in the 1990 playoffs. Flew under the radar a bit and got the job done.

how did '89 jimmy carson do in the playoffs? legit question; i have no recollection and don't just want to guess from the stats.

Terrible. He got a couple of goals in games 3 and 4 in Edmonton, I think, and then completely disappeared for the important games 5, 6, and 7.

As I noted, though, Carson had been trending downward in the regular season as well after January. Maybe it was around January (January in Edmonton could do that to you) when he started to psychologically give up on the team.

However, I remember him being the best L.A. King on the ice against Calgary in the first-round 1988 series.

 

[rboomercat90]

The way I remember it was that he was never comfortable in the locker room. Rumour at the time was Messier wasn't happy with his commitment and work ethic and threatened to beat the hell out of him if it didn't improve.

As far as him being done at such an early age it was speculated that since he came from a wealthy family that he didn't have the hunger to compete like most of the other players did. He was good at hockey but didn't love it. As time went on he liked it even less.

I don't think there was initially any issue with the fans because of the Gretzky trade. He did score 50 goals in his first year with the Oilers and it looked like the team still had a future with him. But, when the media got wind of how the rest of the players in the locker room felt about him and why, they turned on him. Média and fans were used to players who were winners in those days. Terry Jones was merciless on guys like that back then and he had a lot of influence on how the fans felt.

Sorry but I don't remember why he came back for four games and quit. My only guess is maybe he was promised either that things were going to be better and his concerns with his teammates would be addressed and then they weren't to his satisfaction or, most likely, he was promised that if he came back for training camp that the team would trade him before the season started and Sather wasn't able to get a deal done so he just went home.

 

[seventieslord]

The way I remember it was that he was never comfortable in the locker room. Rumour at the time was Messier wasn't happy with his commitment and work ethic and threatened to beat the hell out of him if it didn't improve.

Are you mixing him up with Kent Nilsson, or was this a common occurrence with Messier?

 

[popo]

The '88 Oilers team was maybe their best ever group. A battle hardened group that knew how to win. They were fast, could play physical, had tightened up their defensive game, and two elite scoring lines. Then they had their heart ripped out of their chest at the peak of their power.
Carson came in as a completely wrong fit; culture and style. He couldn't skate with the team, wasn't used to wining (or the playoffs), wasn't physical, and was one dimensional. Off the ice he could no longer attend his young Republican meetings or mingle with ownership.

 

[rboomercat90]

Are you mixing him up with Kent Nilsson, or was this a common occurrence with Messier?

Lol, I remember Nilsson commenting about his stare from across the room after they won in '87. It was a common occurrence with Messier, Klima was another one that was talked about publicly back then. Those guys, led by Messier, were used to winning and knew what it took to do it. New players that came into the locker room and didn't play the right way were ridden hard. Some guys could handle it and conformed, other guys like Carson just wanted out.

 

[The Panther]

Lol, I remember Nilsson commenting about his stare from across the room after they won in '87. It was a common occurrence with Messier, Klima was another one that was talked about publicly back then. Those guys, led by Messier, were used to winning and knew what it took to do it. New players that came into the locker room and didn't play the right way were ridden hard. Some guys could handle it and conformed, other guys like Carson just wanted out.

That's right, although I don't know that I'd call it "conforming". I think the Edmonton vets were welcoming to a new type of player with a fresh perspective; they just weren't willing to change for a non-team-committed guy with bigger priorities than the hockey team.

Craig Simpson, to me, was a good example of a real "Oiler". He came in from Pittsburgh where he had just begun to do quite well, and was essentially the trade for Coffey. He never complained about high expectations or having to replace an All-Star. He totally bought into the Edmonton system and he was a real battler who played big in big situations. (to the extent that his career was over at 25)

Jimmy Carson could have (physically) been that guy, too, but he just wasn't cut out to be a cog in that kind of team.

 

[c9777666]

How much do you think Carson's problems in Edmonton was dealing with the pressure as 'The Main Guy We Traded Gretzky For?'

Is it possible that had be become an Oiler by different ways (ie not traded directly vis-a-vis Gretzky on 8/9/1988) the pressure might have not been as enormous?

 

[rboomercat90]

How much do you think Carson's problems in Edmonton was dealing with the pressure as 'The Main Guy We Traded Gretzky For?'

Is it possible that had be become an Oiler by different ways (ie not traded directly vis-a-vis Gretzky on 8/9/1988) the pressure might have not been as enormous?

Carson's hockey problems weren't isolated to Edmonton though. Unless being a home town boy was too much for him as well, he had no such pressure in Detroit and was still a disappointment. His biggest problem was he didn't have a strong enough drive to be a good player.

I think the "he was the guy we traded Gretzky for" thing is way overblown. Every Oiler fan knew it was actually the $15 million that Gretzky was traded for and the other players were just throw in. Like I said earlier, fans never had an issue with him until it became public knowledge that there were off ice problems with him. Oiler fans have never had any patience with players that either don't work hard or have hinted they want out. Those are things he only had himself to blame for.

 

[rboomercat90]

That's right, although I don't know that I'd call it "conforming". I think the Edmonton vets were welcoming to a new type of player with a fresh perspective; they just weren't willing to change for a non-team-committed guy with bigger priorities than the hockey team.

Craig Simpson, to me, was a good example of a real "Oiler". He came in from Pittsburgh where he had just begun to do quite well, and was essentially the trade for Coffey. He never complained about high expectations or having to replace an All-Star. He totally bought into the Edmonton system and he was a real battler who played big in big situations. (to the extent that his career was over at 25)

Jimmy Carson could have (physically) been that guy, too, but he just wasn't cut out to be a cog in that kind of team.

Pretty good comparison. Both guys brought in under similar circumstances theoretically replacing legends. Both were thought of as being pieces of a future core. Simpson wanted it and earned the respect of his teammates so much that he's still in that inner circle. Carson couldn't cut and run fast enough.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Some reading material from around that time paint a clear picture of Carson's unhappiness in Edmonton. Just seemed like he wasn't a good fit, not only on the team and in the locker but he just wasn't happy being there.

http://articles.latimes.com/1989-10-15/sports/sp-328_1_edmonton-oilers

Carson didn't want to be traded. He was never happy with the Oilers.

King owner Bruce McNall, who offered the Oilers an extra $5 million for Gretzky in an attempt to keep Carson, said Saturday that he feels "just terrible" about Carson. But that was all that he could say without risking being charged with tampering.

The Oilers aren't happy with Carson, either.

It won't be easy for the Oiler management to sit through the celebration that will erupt tonight if Gretzky scores his second point. Not only are they without Gretzky, they are without the talented young center who was supposed to be a large part of their compensation.

Asked how he expects the Oiler administration to handle the Carson situation, Gretzky said: "The track record of the Oilers is that the team comes before any player. They won't panic to make a deal. I don't think they'll sit him out all year, either, because that hurts them, too.

"But they're in the driver's seat. They won't panic. If the right deal comes along, they'll make a trade."

In the meantime, Carson will not play.

"God, I don't know what to think about that," said Luc Robitaille, one of Carson's closest friends. "It is a big surprise to me now. I talked to him over the summer and I knew he wasn't happy. He told me that he wouldn't be back after this year.

"But I didn't know he would do this. On the other hand, when Jimmy wants something, he's a pretty smart guy . . .

"I can't blame him for being upset about the trade. Who would want to get traded from L.A.?"

http://www.nytimes.com/1989/10/25/sports/as-edmonton-s-center-carson-was-an-outsider.html

Carson scored a team-high 49 goals and added 51 assists for the Oilers last season; he had 55 goals the year before and 37 as a rookie. But he never felt comfortable with the Oilers, and said so from time to time. Still, his departure surprised some teammates.

''It was a shocker. I thought he had a good attitude in training camp,'' Craig Simpson, an Oiler left wing, said after practice this morning at Nassau Coliseum.

Simpson suggested that Carson had trouble adjusting to the team personality of the Oilers, a club of veterans.

''Edmonton is a different environment,'' Simpson said, ''and it is a very demanding team to play on. Maybe he had trouble with that. This is a team that goes out together, spends time together.

''The guys tried to make him feel welcome. His personality is different. He was a loner. He has put a lot of pressure on himself by doing this. You do something like this, you get labeled.''

Esa Tikkanen, a left wing, roomed with Carson and talked with him before he left. 'His Mind Was Made Up'

''There were so many reasons he never liked Edmonton,'' Tikkanen said. ''He is young and he is very close to his dad, and his dad was too far away. I said to him 'Think it over before you do this,' but his mind was made up.''

Carson has been unavailable for comment since he quit. His agent, Bill Watters of Toronto, and his father, Chuck Carson of Grosse Pointe Woods, a Detroit suburb, said Carson is somewhere in California, waiting to be traded, and will have nothing to say before a deal is made. The Oilers' coach, John Muckler, is waiting for the same thing.

''I would enjoy us making a trade for Carson,'' Muckler said today, adding that the uncertainty ''is pretty difficult for everybody.''

According to Watters, Carson turned down a $200,000 raise and an extended contract this season because he wanted to leave Edmonton. Carson left the team, Watters said, because he wasn't getting enough ice time and Carson feared the lack of exposure could hurt his value as a free agent.

''He didn't have his heart in it,'' Watters said. ''This decision has cost Jimmy Carson money this season.''

http://edmontonjournal.com/sports/h...mmy-carson-sits-out-demands-trade-oct-14-1989

By leaving, reportedly to his house in Redondo Beach, he’s now suspended and hoping Sather will deal him to a U.S.-based team.

“I don’t understand what he’s trying to pull off. But I’m not going to do anything that will hurt this club. I notified all the teams he’d left and to call if they were interested. I won’t say when I’ll trade him. Who knows, if I got the right kind of offer, I might trade him right away. If I don’t, well, we’ll wait and see,†said Sather, who was caught completely off guard by Carson’s leaving.

“Through camp he was enthusiastic (playing with Glenn Anderson and Craig Simpson),†said Sather. “Just because he had a bad game (Bruins) that’s no reason to fold his chips. It just seems like he’s running away.â€

Oiler defenceman Charlie Huddy couldn’t believe it when told Carson had left. “I know last year was rough for him. But I thought over the summer he’d gotten it together. I talked to him a bunch of times and the impression I got was he was excited,†he said.

Carson admitted to pressure last season. “He was a major part of the trade. People weren’t expecting him to replace Gretzky, though. He had a good year. He played well most of the time,†said Huddy.

“I know it’s tough moving from L.A. to a smaller Canadian city, too. It takes awhile to adjust. I thought he had, but obviously this thing had been in the back of his mind. Jimmy was quiet. He hung around on his own, though.â€

I wonder if Edmonton still wins the Cup in '90 had Jimmy Carson remained an Oiler. I would say the depth scoring and balanced lineup provided by the additions of Adam Graves, Joe Murphy and Petr Klima made Edmonton a far more dangerous team in the playoffs.

Carson also went sour rather quickly in his second stint in LA, often finding himself in Barry Melrose's doghouse. He was benched and scratched for a good part of the Kings' Cup run in '93, and shortly thereafter was dealt to Vancouver in the early going of the 93-94 season in exchange for Dixon Ward.

 

[The Panther]

Wow, thanks for those quotes, Ziggy Stardust! Never seen those. Very revealing.

...and shortly thereafter was dealt to Vancouver in the early going of the 93-94 season in exchange for Dixon Ward.

It kind of sums up Carson's decline that he was traded first for Wayne Gretzky and then later Dixon Ward.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Wow, thanks for those quotes, Ziggy Stardust! Never seen those. Very revealing.

It kind of sums up Carson's decline that he was traded first for Wayne Gretzky and then later Dixon Ward.

As a Kings fan, it was even more upsetting seeing Paul Coffey turn to that. It was evident from the get go that Melrose didn't care for Carson, he wanted his "boys" from Adirondack: Gary Shuchuk and Marc Potvin.

Carson was brought in with the assumption that he'd take over the #2 center duties since they lacked a true lethal center behind Gretzky since dealing Bernie Nicholls to New York. They also wanted to shift Kurri back to wing and reunite him with Gretzky, but that idea was short lived as Carson was scratched, Kurri shifted back to center (between Robitaille and Shuchuk) and Gretzky skated with Sandstrom and various other left wingers which included Warren Rychel.

As for Carson, he didn't find any success in Vancouver, signed on with the Whalers and he drifted away into obscurity, with his NHL career over at the age of 27. He wrapped up his hockey career with the Detroit Vipers and wound up retiring before turning 30.

Sad how one of the highest scoring teenagers in the history of the sport would quickly fade away.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

As a Kings fan, it was even more upsetting seeing Paul Coffey turn to that. It was evident from the get go that Melrose didn't care for Carson, he wanted his "boys" from Adirondack: Gary Shuchuk and Marc Potvin.

Carson was brought in with the assumption that he'd take over the #2 center duties since they lacked a true lethal center behind Gretzky since dealing Bernie Nicholls to New York. They also wanted to shift Kurri back to wing and reunite him with Gretzky, but that idea was short lived as Carson was scratched, Kurri shifted back to center (between Robitaille and Shuchuk) and Gretzky skated with Sandstrom and various other left wingers which included Warren Rychel.

As for Carson, he didn't find any success in Vancouver, signed on with the Whalers and he drifted away into obscurity, with his NHL career over at the age of 27. He wrapped up his hockey career with the Detroit Vipers and wound up retiring before turning 30.

Sad how one of the highest scoring teenagers in the history of the sport would quickly fade away.

wow, i'd never heard that before. it's incredible; nick beverley traded paul coffey, who still had one MVP-type season left in him and 60 more playoff points in 70 more playoff games, for two career minor leaguers that his coach wanted. that's benning-esque.

(totally random fact: paul coffey was once traded for a benning)

i believe it though; the kings also picked up the great lonnie loach on waivers that year. little lonnie even got into one game in the finals.

as for carson, funny how his career ends. watching the stanley cup finals, mostly from the press box, two years in a row, before moving on to hartford where he gets a head start following his real passion: selling insurance.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

wow, i'd never heard that before. it's incredible; nick beverley traded paul coffey, who still had one MVP-type season left in him and 60 more playoff points in 70 more playoff games, for two career minor leaguers that his coach wanted. that's benning-esque.

(totally random fact: paul coffey was once traded for a benning)

i believe it though; the kings also picked up the great lonnie loach on waivers that year. little lonnie even got into one game in the finals.

as for carson, funny how his career ends. watching the stanley cup finals, mostly from the press box, two years in a row, before moving on to hartford where he gets a head start following his real passion: selling insurance.

Here's a blurb concerning the Carson-Coffey trade where Barry Melrose explicitly states that they had been trying all season to bring in Shuchuk and Potvin. I guess two grinders with short lived careers in the NHL were more valuable to Melrose than a Hall of Fame defenseman who can play nearly half the game.

http://articles.latimes.com/1993-01-30/sports/sp-1780_1_wayne-gretzky

Melrose had wanted Shuchuk and Potvin even before the season started, having known them from coaching at Adirondack last season. Beverley was on the Kings' scouting staff when the team made Carson its second pick overall in the 1986 draft.

"To get the deal done, it had to become a bigger deal," Melrose said. "What we gave up is a great defenseman. We gave up one player who was playing regularly, for three people who can play regularly. The reason we were able to do this is because of the development of our young defensemen. We're putting our future in the hands of our kids."

Said Beverley: "It certainly isn't easy at any time to move a player of that caliber. We're singing a lot of praise toward Paul Coffey, and rightfully so. But I'm not apologizing for making the deal. Jimmy Carson is a great player in his own right."

Funny how things changed once Carson got to LA...

Interesting to note that it was Carson's former coach in LA, Pat Quinn, who took a chance with him in Vancouver.

This article from when the trade occurred has quotes from Quinn explaining his "gamble" in taking in Carson, and also delves more into the problems he had in LA.

http://articles.latimes.com/1988-08-09/sports/sp-329_1_bruce-mcnall

Carson, 25, has lived up to the arguments heard through the thin walls of that Montreal hotel in 1986 by averaging 37 goals in his first seven seasons. But he had only four goals in 25 games this season, and he was benched for six Stanley Cup playoff games last spring and for 11 regular-season games this season, including five in a row since December 23.

He was given a three-year, $3.3-million contract before this season and promised more ice time. But he was caught in the middle of a dispute between Kings General Manager Nick Beverley and Coach Barry Melrose. That's the major reason he was traded for the fourth time in his career.

He rejoins Canucks G.M.-Coach Pat Quinn, Carson's first NHL coach.

"It's obvious he seemed to be at the end of his rope with Barry Melrose," Quinn says. "The trade is a risk, let's face it. We don't know what has happened between Jimmy and his coach. Maybe there is something we don't know about, but the up side for us is good."

We reported Carson-for-Ward and Carson-for-Dana Murzyn rumors more than a month ago, but Quinn finally was forced to make a move. It became apparent he could not trade holdout center Petr Nedved before Nedved's self-imposed Monday deadline -- Nedved, playing for Team Canada, will not be available for a trade until after the Olympics -- and after Cliff Ronning left the lineup because of a shoulder separation.

Not exactly a ringing endorsement for Carson, but if Quinn puts Carson next to Pavel Bure and they find magic, Carson probably won't even mind playing in Canada again because he would be able to say, "I told you so," to the Kings.

"I just wish this was handled differently in the summertime, before I signed the contract," Carson says. "We were given strong assurances that the coach wanted me and would play me.

"When we were struggling early, I thought I could help. But getting two or three shifts a game isn't exactly getting a chance to play. The whole situation was a little unusual, and I'm happy I'll be getting a chance to play in Vancouver."

Ward, 25, is 6 feet, 200 pounds. He gives Melrose the size and feistiness he likes so much. Ward had 22 goals and 30 assists as a rookie last season but had six goals in 33 games this season.

"Jimmy has offensive talent," Melrose says. "But I have Gretzky and Jari Kurri. In the scheme of things, there wasn't room for another offensive player. It was like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole."

Jimmy Carson had some comments about his return to LA in this article that was written around the time of his signing with the Hartford Whalers. It also mentions that he was not in game shape when he was dealt to Vancouver. It's rather evident that Carson started to lose his motivation to play after his first trade.

http://articles.courant.com/1994-09-09/sports/9409090518_1_gretzky-deal-whalers-jim-rutherford

``I was thrown into a very unique and difficult situation, I think, going to LA,'' Carson said. ``Especially last year, when it all kind of came together. There's no question there was a power struggle between the management of the team and the coaches. It's ironic because Barry Melrose told me many times, he said, `I wanted that trade. I wanted you.' I don't necessarily believe that.

``Things were said and it was a difficult situation right off the bat. As soon as I got there, I didn't really play much. That's the coach's prerogative. I think that's where my problems started, with respect to last year. [Melrose] didn't want me. He wasn't playing me for whatever reason. I was just kind of sitting in the stands. Even when I did play, I was playing with a minimal amount of ice. Certainly no specialty teams. And it would be like, `Well, why aren't you scoring?' ''

The season didn't end with Carson's trade to Vancouver Jan. 8. Out of game shape after sitting for weeks without playing with LA, he quickly lost his spot in the Canucks' lineup. When they went to the Cup finals, he sat in the stands as he had in three of five games in the 1993 finals with LA.

But the parting with Vancouver was amicable. For Carson, there's no sense looking back.

With regards to Carson and the Kings, at least the Kings ended up with something useful in a long, complicated timeline and series of trades.

January 29, 1993: Jimmy Carson traded to Los Angeles by Detroit with Marc Potvin and Gary Shuchuk for Paul Coffey, Sylvain Couturier and Jim Hiller.

January 8, 1994: Dixon Ward traded to Los Angeles by Vancouver for Jimmy Carson.

October 3, 1994: Dixon Ward traded to Toronto by Los Angeles with Guy Leveque, Kelly Fairchild and Shayne Toporowski for Eric Lacroix, Chris Snell and Toronto's 4th round choice (Eric Belanger) in 1996 Entry Draft.

September 29, 2006: Eric Belanger traded to Carolina by Los Angeles with Tim Gleason for Oleg Tverdovsky and Jack Johnson.

February 23, 2012: Jack Johnson traded to Columbus by Los Angeles with Los Angeles' 1st round pick (Marko Dano) in 2013 NHL Draft for Jeff Carter.

The net result of the Carson trade back to LA ultimately resulted in the Kings' acquisition of Jeff Carter.

 

[Roboturner913]

He was lazy and fat. The end