What if the Canucks traded for Wayne Gretzky in 1988?

[F A N]

According to Brian Burke, the Canucks could have traded for Wayne Gretzky in 1988. The price was Kirk McLean, Greg Adams, 3 First Round Picks, and $25M in cash (which could have been negotiated down to the $15M LA paid).

If the 3 first round picks were the same as what LA negotiated, it would have resulted in no Jason Herter, no Stojanov, and no Wilson. Of course those 1st round picks likely would have been higher with Gretzky on the team and LA would also have drafted differently.

Wayne Gretzky being traded to LA changed the course of hockey history. Gretzky's time in LA is often seen as giving rise to US hockey. What if...

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[Hit the post]

Linden, who was always a winger before being drafted, might get to move back to that position if Gretzky was on the team. Probably be more productive offensively as a result not having the burdens of being a center.

 

[MS]

Linden, who was always a winger before being drafted, might get to move back to that position if Gretzky was on the team. Probably be more productive offensively as a result not having the burdens of being a center.

Linden played wing for most of the period from 1988-93 as it was. He was only converted full time just before the ‘94 run.

 

[Hit the post]

Linden played wing for most of the period from 1988-93 as it was. He was only converted full time just before the ‘94 run.

Thanks for the correction. Just by memory which for me is hit or miss.

 

[Vector]

I wonder what the goalie solution would have been if that went down.

 

[Just A Bit Outside]

So Gretzky doesn’t go to the US.

US hockey does not take off because of it.

Canucks are likely good but still don’t win a cup because they have Gretzky, Linden and possibly Bure but nothing else.

League would look very different that’s for sure.

 

[Dissonance Jr]

It's fun to think about. My predictions for the 1988-'89 alternate reality season: Trevor Linden runs away with the Calder, Petri Skriko puts up 100 points, Gretzky scores way less in Vancouver than he actually did in LA and fails to beat out Mario Lemieux for the Hart, and Otto still somehow kicks it in.

 

[ProstheticConscience]

If my aunt had balls, she'd be my uncle.

 

[Iron Mike Sharpe]

So Gretzky doesn’t go to the US.

US hockey does not take off because of it.

Canucks are likely good but still don’t win a cup because they have Gretzky, Linden and possibly Bure but nothing else.

League would look very different that’s for sure.

Gretzky to LA was the best thing for the NHL and the sport in general, it's hard to imagine how things would've played out had he not landed there.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

the griffiths would have run out of money a lot sooner and bettman would have tripped all over himself getting the team sold to some warm place with too many guns

 

[Iron Mike Sharpe]

It's fun to think about. My predictions for the 1988-'89 alternate reality season: Trevor Linden runs away with the Calder, Petri Skriko puts up 100 points, Gretzky scores way less in Vancouver than he actually did in LA and fails to beat out Mario Lemieux for the Hart, and Otto still somehow kicks it in.

Paul Reinhart with Gretzky would've been a thing of beauty - a healthy Reinhart playing 80 games would've been good for 90+ points. Skriko and Linden on Gretzky's wings would've probably seen them boost their point totals that year by 15 or 20. Tanti might've been good for a few extra PPG. But it's also possible Linden wouldn't have gotten the spot with Gretzky and Sandlak might've been put there. The next season Gretzky likely would've had a positive impact on the games of Larionov and Krutov - maybe Krutov wouldn't have been such a slug. It's hard to imagine what the Canucks would've been during this period without a goalie the calibre of McLean - I don't see Gretzky pushing this club very far until the arrival of Bure. But these retro "what if" scenarios are always just pointless fantasy musings, anyway.

 

[CFan23]

Interesting to consider, the Canucks would be different for sure and maybe sniff a cup if we could have assembled the right pieces around Gretzky. USA hockey is likely much different, do the expansion teams in the sunbelt even happen without the mindshare boost Wayne gave south of the border? On a personal level he'd likely be poorer without the same level of endorsements. We may not even get the mighty duck movies. Probably for the best it didn't happen, for the game of hockey anyway.

 

[krutovsdonut]

the griffiths would have run out of money a lot sooner and bettman would have tripped all over himself getting the team sold to some warm place with too many guns

with a name draw like that, they might have gotten better credit terms for gm place and the grizzlies. so we might have kept the grizzlies, and the town avoids the stan maccammon error, and arthur griffiths never hires stu jackson because the gretzky effect means actual good nba guys are interested in vancouver, and his replacement trades to draft steve nash. then burke succeeds quinn anyway as gm because they were buddies and he drafts the twins and gretzky plays longer in a solid stable situation with markus naslund on his wing and the hyperbaric chamber extending his career, and he accelerates the twins development and in the summer of 2003 we trade an aging linden to the caps for their 2004 first rounder and then the next summer flip naslund to pittsburgh for their 2005 first rounder.

huzzah

 

[Dab]

Pretty sure Gretzky was going to a big US market regardless. It’s fun to dream about but was never going to happen even if the canucks had the assets and Pat Quinn wasn’t an asshole or whatever the story is.

 

[F A N]

Pretty sure Gretzky was going to a big US market regardless. It’s fun to dream about but was never going to happen even if the canucks had the assets and Pat Quinn wasn’t an asshole or whatever the story is.

Why? Gretzky was under contract at the time and had no say in where he goes. From what Brian Burke said, there seems to be legitimate discussions. Edmonton was clearly selling Gretzky to the highest bidder (especially monetarily). If the Canucks were willing to give up more cash that makes Vancouver's offer more attractive.

 

[Dab]

Why? Gretzky was under contract at the time and had no say in where he goes. From what Brian Burke said, there seems to be legitimate discussions. Edmonton was clearly selling Gretzky to the highest bidder (especially monetarily). If the Canucks were willing to give up more cash that makes Vancouver's offer more attractive.

I think the best player in NHL history had a say in where he landed, he was going to be a free agent the next year, if I recall correct. The NHL front office also wanted him to land in LA or a big US market.
I think there was a minuscule chance that the Gretzky became a Canuck, that said I would have said the chances the canucks draft identical twin hall of gamers is minuscule as well.

 

[VanJack]

If the Canucks had actually acquired Gretzky, one of two things would have happened. He'd have suffered some sort of career-threatening injury or he'd have played like the first coming of Mark Messier.

It's just the Canuck way.

 

[F A N]

I think the best player in NHL history had a say in where he landed, he was going to be a free agent the next year, if I recall correct. The NHL front office also wanted him to land in LA or a big US market.
I think there was a minuscule chance that the Gretzky became a Canuck, that said I would have said the chances the canucks draft identical twin hall of gamers is minuscule as well.

Except that he had a free agency clause not a no trade clause. Of course you are free to believe that if Gretzky told Sather and Pocklington that he didn't want to get traded he will just play out his contract and hit free agency.

Long term though it was hard to say. My understanding is that Vancouver wasn't "Hollywood North" at the time and it's not like his wife's career took off after they moved to LA. Gretzky, at the time, was like Canada's national treasure. He knows what Canadians would think if he moved South and he cared about that.