Players who joined a team, but never actually played for them.

[alko]

Ziggy Palffy was a NY Rangers player. For some hours. Until the NHL stepped in and canceled the trade.

 

[frapp10]

For the Habs
Zack Kassian - got injured drunk driving and traded shortly after

Jassen Cullimore - he played for the Habs in the 90’s but was traded for Sergei Samsonov right before his contract ended in 07

Dan Ellis - traded for Sergei Kostitsyn right before his contract ended

Blair Betts - claimed off waivers but returned to Philly a few days later because he was injured

Devan Dubnyk - traded for future considerations and played a few AHL games which he was brutal in

Steve Mason - traded with Joel Armia as a cap dump. Bought out that day

 

[kovacro]

Likely has happened a bunch in various expansion drafts. Guy gets drafted and then dealt.

I remember the SJ and Minnesota “expansion draft” when the Sharks took a bunch of Stars players and the league had another draft to stock both clubs.

Guy LaFleur, Charlie Huddy and Kelly Kisio were drafted by Minny but, didn’t end up playing there.

Bengt Gustafsson and Tim Kerr were drafted by SJ from Washington and never played for the Sharks.

I remember being in Grade 8 at the time and thought these two drafts were pretty cool. Likely because it was the first time I witnessed expansion in the NHL. It was new and exciting.

1991 NHL Dispersal and Expansion Drafts - Wikipedia

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

^ minny also grabbed dave babych in that expansion draft, then traded him to vancouver in the babych/kurvers/ludwig three-way

ludwig taught matvichuk how to block shots and eventually retired as a dallas star with the cup in his arms

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

Mike Richter and Brian Leetch with the Oilers

Mark Messier -San Jose
Dan Hamhuis-Philadelphia
John Vanbiesbrouck-Vancouver

The first two and the first one by the second poster were players who the Rangers traded for assets who had no intention of signing with said team and all 3 went back to the Rangers.

Dan Hamhuis' rights were traded to philly, then the pens I believe and the he walked as a UFA to sign with Vancouver.

I'm not sure these should count as the players never voluntarily joined the teams.

 

[LeafalCrusader]

Kolzig in Toronto

 

[SharksAttack]

Vesa Toskala, Anaheim

 

[Normand Lacombe]

In 1982, Minnesota traded D Bill Nyrop to Calgary. Nyrop elected to retire to complete his Juris Doctor degree in law.

 

[Fixxer]

Keith Kinkaid 18-19 Columbus Blue Jackets

 

[Fixxer]

Daigle never had time to play in Edmonton.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

Martin Jones in Boston

Acquired on June 26 as part of the Lucic trade.

And was shipped to SJ for a 1st on June 30

 

[ShelbyZ]

Here's a few from the Red Wings that fit a few different scenarios:

Taken in the expansion draft and then re-acquired: Doug Brown, taken by Nashville and then traded back to Detroit

Taken in the waiver draft and then re-acquired: Brent Gilchrist to the Lightning and then back

Players that were throw ins on a trade and quickly buried in the minors and never heard from again: Ole-Kristian Tollefsen (throw in on the trade to get rid of Leino - immediately waived and sent to GR), Brian Glynn (throw in on the Shanahan trade - sent to a different IHL team than Detroit's farm team), Ben Hankinson (throw in on the Burr for Bergevin trade - buried in the AHL)

Traded to give the other team the pre-cap CBA draft pick compensation: Ulf Samuelsson to Atlanta so they wouldn't change their mind and select Igor Larionov instead of Norm Maracle

 

[tarheelhockey]

I know it's not quite what this thread was intended for, but...

James Wisniewski was picked up by Carolina in a pre-draft trade for Anton Khudobin, which was the source of some moderate offseason optimism. He came out for his first shift with the Canes, slipped slightly while trying to stay on his feet, and blew out his left ACL. He never played in the NHL again. Total time with the Canes: 1 shift, 47 seconds.

 

[Sanf]

Jani Hurme with Atlanta. Not notable goalie, but he was with Atlanta 2 and half seasons and only played some minor league games during the third season. Only practiced with Atlanta during the first couple of weeks there. There was injuries and ilnesses, but still quite strange. Was traded to Anaheim where he only played in minor league system.

 

[kaiser matias]

Manny Legace spent 2 weeks on the Canucks bench in the early 2000s but never played in a game.

 

[Brodeur]

Probably not exactly the OP's criteria, but had my memory jogged on one. The Devils traded Vladimir Malakhov (well, his cap hit) and a lottery protected 2007 1st rounder to San Jose for Jim Fahey and Alexander Korolyuk.

https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/devils-sharks-trade-voided-1.682373

Korolyuk had a decent 19 goal season in 2003-04 but went back to Russia during the lockout and stayed. I had totally forgotten that the Devils then traded him back to the Sharks later in the 2006-07 season for a 3rd round pick, but the trade was rescinded when Korolyuk didn't show up for a physical. He never came back to the NHL.

 

[Gilles Meloche]

Chad Kilger- Florida Panthers

 

[HisIceness]

I know it's not quite what this thread was intended for, but...

James Wisniewski was picked up by Carolina in a pre-draft trade for Anton Khudobin, which was the source of some moderate offseason optimism. He came out for his first shift with the Canes, slipped slightly while trying to stay on his feet, and blew out his left ACL. He never played in the NHL again. Total time with the Canes: 1 shift, 47 seconds.

In some ways that freak injury did open up the door for Slavin and Pesce. One or both could have been called up but I'm not sure they would have been given consistent top-4 minutes, Wisniewski wasn't a world-beater but he had a good showing in preseason and as a veteran the last thing he probably wanted was being topped by a couple of rookies.

I hate that his career had to end that way though.

 

[veggieoilerfan]

Todd Bergen was traded to the North Stars on November 29, 1985 after he refused to report to the Flyers. He never ended up playing for the North Stars. First he missed the entire 1985-86 season with an abdominal injury. Then he continued to struggle with injuries during the 1986-87 season, playing only 27 games with the AHL’s Springfield Indians. Bergen retired from hockey after the 1986-87 season.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Radek Bonk was a Los Angeles King for a few minutes.
https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/canadiens-acquire-bonk-in-three-way-trade-1.498490

The Senators traded Bonk to the Kings for a 3rd, who then flipped Bonk (and Cristobal Huet) to Montreal for Mathieu Garon and a 3rd.

 

[ICM1970]

Believe Ron Duguay spent a training camp and a few exhibition games with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1989-90, but IIRC, he was cut and he ended up in Europe for that season.

 

[ICM1970]

And another thing I recall about Duguay was that in 1992, Phil Esposito (as the GM for the new Tampa Bay Lightning franchise) gave him a tryout. Believe Ron only lasted about two or three days and quit when he apparently broke two fingers and knew that that comeback attempt was basically done right then and there.

 

[Voight]

Lindros = NYR ?

 

[cupcrazyman]

Nathan Horton Cap Dump to Toronto

 

[JianYang]

I know it's not quite what this thread was intended for, but...

James Wisniewski was picked up by Carolina in a pre-draft trade for Anton Khudobin, which was the source of some moderate offseason optimism. He came out for his first shift with the Canes, slipped slightly while trying to stay on his feet, and blew out his left ACL. He never played in the NHL again. Total time with the Canes: 1 shift, 47 seconds.

And that wasn't his only major knee injury.

I remember the habs traded for him when they lost markov for the entire season. He was pretty solid, and a threat on the PP. I realized how much I undervalued him prior to him joining the habs. He joined the jackets on his big deal that summer.

Cumulative injuries must have taken their toll on him though.