Trade Deadline Moves That Directly Led To A Cup

[GMR]

Detroit ran into two hot opponents in 1995 and 1996. There was never anything "wrong" with their roster. If they keep Coffey, they're still Cup contenders the following season, but they likely don't trade for Murphy who was a perfect partner for Lidstrom. Instead, they likely try to add a forward at the deadline. No way to tell but it's fun playing what if.

Shanahan was a key contributor during their playoff run in 1997. They had other goal scorers and had guys that played a gritty style, but he could do both. In 1998, his numbers weren't that special in the postseason, though.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

No one stated he wasnt an upgrade. There is difference between being "the reason wings won" and "being a great upgrade". I think sayng Shanny is the reason we won is a disservice to the certain players that made it happen.

well i think because the margin of victory for most cup winners is pretty small (for example, even if colorado swept florida in the finals, the semi-finals against detroit was very close), changing one guy can make a difference. by that line of thinking, you change shanahan, detroit probably doesn't beat colorado in '97. you change larry murphy, detroit probably doesn't win then either. i don't think citing the shanahan addition being make-or-break in any way diminishes the contributions of murphy or any various europeans you'd want to also credit.

for example, rob ramage in calgary in 1989. was he the biggest reason they won that year? of course not. but if he's not there do they win? i don't see how that would be possible, given that he stepped so ably into gary suter's PP role after suter got hurt. who else takes that spot in the lineup if there is no ramage? ken sabourin? 21 year old brian glynn? random other guys i've never heard of? do you want dana murzyn stepping into the top four? so yeah, that trade directly led to the stanley cup in the sense that if it didn't happen neither does the cup.

 

[Hobnobs]

well i think because the margin of victory for most cup winners is pretty small (for example, even if colorado swept florida in the finals, the semi-finals against detroit was very close), changing one guy can make a difference. by that line of thinking, you change shanahan, detroit probably doesn't beat colorado in '97. you change larry murphy, detroit probably doesn't win then either. i don't think citing the shanahan addition being make-or-break in any way diminishes the contributions of murphy or any various europeans you'd want to also credit.

for example, rob ramage in calgary in 1989. was he the biggest reason they won that year? of course not. but if he's not there do they win? i don't see how that would be possible, given that he stepped so ably into gary suter's PP role after suter got hurt. who else takes that spot in the lineup if there is no ramage? ken sabourin? 21 year old brian glynn? random other guys i've never heard of? do you want dana murzyn stepping into the top four? so yeah, that trade directly led to the stanley cup in the sense that if it didn't happen neither does the cup.

I didnt say we win the cup without Shanahan. I said we didnt win directly because of him which is what this thread is about.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

I didnt say we win the cup without Shanahan. I said we didnt win directly because of him which is what this thread is about.

i don't think i understand the distinction you are making here then

not that we necessarily need to have a semantic argument, per se

 

[Hobnobs]

i don't think i understand the distinction you are making here then

not that we necessarily need to have a semantic argument, per se

What Im saying is that Shanahan was one of the guys on the team that won the cup and not the x factor that directly led to us being cup winners. Remove Fedorov, Lapointe or Vernon and we dont win the cup.

And especially. Remove Murphy and we are definitely not winning anything. Without Murphy our D would be Lidström, Konstantinov, Fetisov, Rouse, Ward and Pushor. With Anders Eriksson probably taking the 7th spot. Does that look cup winning to you?

 

[c9777666]

2006’s Cup Final saw a battle of teams boosted by the trade deadline: CAR (Recchi/Weight) vs EDM (Roloson, Samsonov, Tarnstrom)

 

[FerrisRox]

I do think the Flames would have won in '89 without Ramage.

I agree.

Even with the injury to Gary Suter, you take Ramage off that team and add Brett Hull - who scored 41 goals that year and had a point-per-game playoff - and I think the Flames are a better team than the club that won the Cup.

I've always found it odd that people repeatedly point to the deal as an example of a trade that won a team the Cup.

 

[FerrisRox]

What Im saying is that Shanahan was one of the guys on the team that won the cup and not the x factor that directly led to us being cup winners. Remove Fedorov, Lapointe or Vernon and we dont win the cup.

And especially. Remove Murphy and we are definitely not winning anything. Without Murphy our D would be Lidström, Konstantinov, Fetisov, Rouse, Ward and Pushor. With Anders Eriksson probably taking the 7th spot. Does that look cup winning to you?

With the forwards they had? Yeah that probably does look Cup winning to me.

 

[The Panther]

Even with the injury to Gary Suter, you take Ramage off that team and add Brett Hull - who scored 41 goals that year and had a point-per-game playoff - and I think the Flames are a better team than the club that won the Cup.

I've always found it odd that people repeatedly point to the deal as an example of a trade that won a team the Cup.

Especially when we recall that the Hull/Ramage deal was in '88, not '89. The Flames finished 1st overall that year, then got swept in the second round.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Some good examples being provided. We know their roster was already stacked, but did the Oilers make any such moves to bolster their roster en route to one of their five championship?

 

[Hobnobs]

Some good examples being provided. We know their roster was already stacked, but did the Oilers make any such moves to bolster their roster en route to one of their five championship?

Reijo Ruotsalainen (90) and Kent Nilsson (87)

 

[The Panther]

Reijo Ruotsalainen (90) and Kent Nilsson (87)

They had Ruotsalainen in 1987 too. And all they essentially gave up for him was D-man Don Jackson, who was done.

Another inexplicably bad deal by the Rangers.

 

[Hobnobs]

They had Ruotsalainen in 1987 too. And all they essentially gave up for him was D-man Don Jackson, who was done.

Another inexplicably bad deal by the Rangers.

Yea but he wasnt as much of a factor on the 87 squad like he was on 90 squad.

 

[scott clam]

Marian Gaborik to L.A. in 2014. Led the playoffs in goals too.

 

[Herby]

Gaborik for the Kings. Led the playoffs in goals.

Gaborik's 2014 playoff is really underrated on these boards.

Not only did he lead LA in goals, but there were some massive ones.

Forced OT in Game 1 vs Ana with 7 seconds left in regulation
Scored in OT to win the same game.
Scored on 1st shift of Game 2 of that series. 3 big goals in about 12 minutes of actual game time
Forced OT with a tying goal in the 3rd period of Game 7 of the WCF in Chicago (Kings won in OT and advanced to Final)
Forced OT with a tying goal in the 3rd period of Game 2 vs. NYR in the Final (Kings won in OT)
Forced OT with a tying goal in the 3rd period of Game 5 vs. NYR in the Final (Kings won Cup in OT)

I think he really should have gotten a longer look at the Conn Smythe. I was happy as a Kings fan and happy for Gaborik who battled injuries and tough situations a good chunk of his career. It was a great player kind of making one last stand as a great player, and he got a ring out of it.

 

[ShelbyZ]

What Im saying is that Shanahan was one of the guys on the team that won the cup and not the x factor that directly led to us being cup winners. Remove Fedorov, Lapointe or Vernon and we dont win the cup.

And especially. Remove Murphy and we are definitely not winning anything. Without Murphy our D would be Lidström, Konstantinov, Fetisov, Rouse, Ward and Pushor. With Anders Eriksson probably taking the 7th spot. Does that look cup winning to you?

IIRC, the Wings were actively trying to add a veteran D before that deadline, so if it wasn't Murphy it probably would've been someone else.

Remember, Murphy was a "Plan B" after Mike Ramsey aborted his comeback attempt shortly before the deadline.

On the topic of the 1997 Red Wings, IMO Kocur was a pretty underrated addition that helped that team to the Cup, but was added well before the deadline.

 

[Hobnobs]

IIRC, the Wings were actively trying to add a veteran D before that deadline, so if it wasn't Murphy it probably would've been someone else.

Remember, Murphy was a "Plan B" after Mike Ramsey aborted his comeback attempt shortly before the deadline.

On the topic of the 1997 Red Wings, IMO Kocur was a pretty underrated addition that helped that team to the Cup, but was added well before the deadline.

Yea imagine going into that playoffs with Ramsay... Thats why Murphy was such a blessing. There werent that many defensemen on the trade block either. Basically guys like Huscroft, Kucera and Norton iirc.

Youre right that Kocur was an underrated addition. Good forechecker, kept physical players in check and freed up McCarty.

 

[Big Phil]

Shanahan often is mentioned as the missing piece of the Red Wings that put them over the top. To an extent he is. But Larry Murphy was traded at the deadline while Shanahan if folks remember was traded in October. Murphy doesn't get enough credit for being an extra depth guy on an already great defense. In retrospect it is amazing that a player like Murphy with lots left in the tank was available for them.

 

[Hi ImHFNYR]

So no argument huh? Cool.

You didn't have one either. Yours is just "He didn't do it" just as his was "He did do it"

You named other players on the team. That doesn't prove that they win it when they do, as many times as they do without him. This doesn't do anything to talk about how much he opened ice up for other lines, matchup differences, etc.

I don't even have a dog in this fight. I just saw that your argument was lacking, big time and you called him out for similarly lacking much

 

[Voight]

Sometimes, its the lower-end guys that give you the most bang for the buck.

Side note, Vermette was huge for us in 2015. Struggled in the first 3 rounds but scored some key goals in the finals.

 

[Voight]

Gaborik's 2014 playoff is really underrated on these boards.

Not only did he lead LA in goals, but there were some massive ones.

Forced OT in Game 1 vs Ana with 7 seconds left in regulation
Scored in OT to win the same game.
Scored on 1st shift of Game 2 of that series. 3 big goals in about 12 minutes of actual game time
Forced OT with a tying goal in the 3rd period of Game 7 of the WCF in Chicago (Kings won in OT and advanced to Final)
Forced OT with a tying goal in the 3rd period of Game 2 vs. NYR in the Final (Kings won in OT)
Forced OT with a tying goal in the 3rd period of Game 5 vs. NYR in the Final (Kings won Cup in OT)

I think he really should have gotten a longer look at the Conn Smythe. I was happy as a Kings fan and happy for Gaborik who battled injuries and tough situations a good chunk of his career. It was a great player kind of making one last stand as a great player, and he got a ring out of it.

I personally would have gone with him or Doughty, sucks they gave Williams his lifetime achievement award instead. (not that he was undeserving)