Trades that almost happened but fell down

[12# Peter Bondra]

Höglund was to be traded from Toronto... I can't remember to where though

To Boston or Phoenix I think.

 

[DreamCatcher*]

Burke was trading for Kipper and offered a 3rd round draft pick but San Jose wanted a 2nd so the deal never went through.

 

[Nalyd Psycho]

I'd imagine that's because Burke had already traded them all away.

 

[Wetcoaster]

I think that was in 1996 as a free agent... there's no way Vancouver had the assets in 1988 to trade for Gretzky.

Vancouver and New York were both trying to sign Gretzky. He was actually leaning towards Vancouver, but then Quinn phoned Gretzky at 3AM and that turned him off. He signed with New York soon after. Vancouver signed Messier away from New York in retaliation... and that turned out great.

And Quinn gave him an ultimatum, sign now or the deal was off - Gretzky turned over, went back to sleep and signed with the Rangers.

 

[Wetcoaster]

Not a trade per se but the attempted purchase of the Leafs Frank Mahovolich by the Blackhawks for the unheard of sum of $1 million in the 1962-63 season:

Some diversionary news hit the sports pages the day of the All-star game when it was reported that Frank Mahovlich had been sold to Chicago for $1 million and James D. Norris produced a cheque for the amount. On the advice of Conn Smythe, Punch Imlach declined the deal, Imlach stating that a million dollars doesn't score goals, and Mahovlich would remain a Maple Leaf.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1962-63_NHL_season

 

[Stammer Time*]

Chris Gratton to the Flyers for Rob Brind'Amour and Karl Dykhuis according to Phil Esposito. The deal was agreed on by Esposito and Clarke but Snider knowing the Lightning owner at the time was an idiot worked out a deal on his own only giving up Renberg and Dykhuis.

Darren Puppa for Curtis Joseph also according to Esposito, the deal was agreed to by Keenan and Esposito but Puppa demanded too much money and the Blues backed out.

 

[sticknrink]

A well known one was Vancouver trading for Kiprusoff. Burke got into a tiffy because he wanted to give them his 3rd, San Jose wanted a 2nd, or first if he was the starter in the playoffs.

Burke balked and that's that.

 

[sticknrink]

And Quinn gave him an ultimatum, sign now or the deal was off - Gretzky turned over, went back to sleep and signed with the Rangers.

It wasn't Quinn was it? I thought it was Burke?

 

[Brodeur]

Chris Gratton to the Flyers for Rob Brind'Amour and Karl Dykhuis according to Phil Esposito. The deal was agreed on by Esposito and Clarke but Snider knowing the Lightning owner at the time was an idiot worked out a deal on his own only giving up Renberg and Dykhuis.

According to his autobiography, Espo claims that Clarke agreed to trade Brind'Amour and Renberg for Gratton. Not sure I really believe him however.

It wasn't Quinn was it? I thought it was Burke?

Burke was still working in the NHL offices when Gretzky became a UFA in 1997. Quinn was Vancouver GM until 1998.

 

[Fighter of Foo]

I remember hearing about this deal. Wasn't it nixed by the NHL because the main asset going to the Isles was a large sum of money?

it was nixed, b/c the deal mainly consisted of the Islander TV rights, so it was Palffy to NYR for TV coverage and a couple of players tossed in

 

[Jumptheshark]

I doubt Edmonton would trade him to a rival like Vancouver. Canucks tried to sign Gretzky when he was a UFA in '96. That is probably what you are thinking of

The comment Gretz made in one his books was that it came down to Vancouver or LA--he was leaning towards Vancouver--but did not like how the nucks ownership did a few things and he opted for LA

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

From wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punch_Imlach

Imlach offered Sittler to the Sabres in return for Perreault, but was turned down. He rejected an offer from the Philadelphia Flyers who were said to be willing to trade Rick MacLeish and Andre Dupont for Sittler.[1] In March 1980, Imlach named himself the new head coach after Floyd Smith was injured in a car accident and acting coach Dick Duff led the team to two lopsided defeats. Joe Crozier was made assistant coach and was soon made head coach.

It looked like the Leafs were ready to accept an offer for Sittler from the Quebec Nordiques when Imlach had another heart attack in August 1980. Ballard used the opportunity to name himself acting general manager and hold talks with Sittler, and the two agreed that Sittler would return to the team as captain for the 1980-81 season. Ballard also signed Borje Salming to a new contract with terms that Imlach had refused to offer. Before the end of 1981, Imlach was back running the Leafs as general manager.

 

[MS]

The Quebec Nordiques and Vancouver Canucks agreed to a Dale Hunter for Rick Lanz swap in 1984, but Quebec's ownership vetoed the deal. Good call by them, as it turned out.

Would have been wicked to have seen Hunter in a Canuck jersey.

 

[Northern Dancer]

If the Leafs could have got Lindros from the Flyers (Leafs thought they had a deal of Markov, Antropov and a 1st) they were then going to trade Sundin to L.A. for Rob Blake. It all fell apart when Clarke inserted Kaberle over Markov at the last minute. The Sundin/Blake trade would have been contingent on Leafs getting Blake to agree to a long-term contract. (which he probably would not have done). Anyway these two blockusters almost got done on the same day.

 

[Other Little Mikey]

According to Phil Esposito's autobiography, he tried as GM of the Rangers to trade for Messier in September of 1986. Pocklington was in financial trouble (as everyone knew, you still can't say the name Gainers without getting an angry reaction in Edmonton) and -- according to Espo -- he was trying to move Gretzky and Messier because he couldn't afford them anymore.

The deal was supposedly Kelly Kisio, John Vanbiesbrouck, Tomas Sandstrom, a second-round pick and $5 million. The Rangers owners didn't want to spend 5 million, and the Oilers wouldn't do it without the money.

Actually, he says he made the exact same deal in '88 for Gretzky, only it was $15 million instead of five. Again, the Rangers owners wouldn't pay it.

 

[Wetcoaster]

It wasn't Quinn was it? I thought it was Burke?

Quinn.

 

[Wetcoaster]

The comment Gretz made in one his books was that it came down to Vancouver or LA--he was leaning towards Vancouver--but did not like how the nucks ownership did a few things and he opted for LA

NY Rangers not LA.

 

[reckoning]

- I was browsing through some old newspaper clippings online from the 70s and came across a Toronto Star article on the front page of the sports section in the summer of 1979 that said a blockbuster trade between Toronto and Buffalo was a certainty. The rumoured deal was Toronto trading Darryl Sittler, Ian Turnbull and Mike Palmateer to Buffalo for Rick Martin, Don Edwards and Bill Hajt. Would've been interesting, but also would've left Toronto without a #1 centre.

- According to Bep Guidlon, there was a deal during the `73-`74 season that would have Boston sending Phil Esposito and Ken Hodge to the Rangers for Brad Park, Rod Gilbert and Walt Tkaczuk, but Sinden got cold feet and called it off. Of course, the same Espo/Park trade was made two years later with different supporting players.

- During Mike Peca's holdout with Buffalo, there was a lot of talk at the trade deadline about a Peca for Iginla deal, but Buffalo and Calgary couldn't agree on the other players or picks in the deal. This was the year before Iginla had his breakthrough scoring champ season.

- In the mid-70s the Islanders were in a serious cash crunch and made a deal to trade Denis Potvin to the Rangers in exchange for the Rangers waiving the territorial fees the Islanders had to pay them. The NHL vetoed the trade.

- Re: the Yzerman to Ottawa deal. I recall reading years later somebody from Detroit (Bowman?) saying that the Wings were just stringing Randy Sexton along to see what players he'd be willing to give up in their system. They were never going to trade Yzerman.

 

[Roughneck]

Höglund was to be traded from Toronto... I can't remember to where though

It was to the Bruins for the rights to Kyle Wanvig.

 

[mapletoft]

Geoff Sanderson was nearly traded to the Oilers for Dave Manson until another GM told Brian Burke to nix it - Sanderson would only get better. Hmmmmm...if the deal had gone through....how owuld the Oilers, Hurricanes and Coyotes possibly look today?

 

[Badger Bob]

Pierre Lacroix provided Al Coates with a list of prospects for the PTBNL in the Fleury-to-Colorado deal. One name was Martin Skoula, but the Flames made the right decision: Robyn Regehr, who would've been worth it, alone.

In the 3-way that sent Chris Drury to Buffalo, Keith Ballard and probably others to Colorado (sorry, memory fails me), the Flames were receiving Steve Reinprecht + a defenseman. Darcy Regier offered Jay McKee, but Daryl Sutter insisted on Rhett Warrener.