Worst trade in hockey history

[MattMartin]

The one known as "the trade" is still the worst trade. There's just nothing comparable in hockey history, or even sports history.

And for my generation, it's still the trade where you remember vividly where you were.

Sorry, the Herschel Walker trade was the best/worst trade in sports history. The Cowboys went on to win 3 Super Bowls as a result of that trade and it wasn't just 1 pick or player that made the team from great to the best in that era. Was a series of players and picks that helped build that team.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/1...nniversary-run-birthed-dallas-cowboys-dynasty

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

 

[HP00]

Tell that to Sabres fans.

For it not being a bad trade you sound awfully bitter

 

[MattMartin]

Pretty much every deal Mad Mike Milbury did while with the NYI could be on this list

2001-Jun-23 2nd over all pick(Spezza) with Bill Muckalt and Zdeno Chara to Ottawa Senators for Alexei Yashin

Jokinen and Luongo for Parrish and Kvasha
McCabe, Bertuzzi, and a pick (Ruutuu was the player they picked I believe)

Edit: They are all here.

http://thehockeywriters.com/top-10-worst-mike-milbury-trades-contracts-and-transactions/

 

[QJL]

Gomez

 

[MattMartin]

For it not being a bad trade you sound awfully bitter

Was the worst trade Ever, I admitted it. We got fleeced. Basically you got Kane, Bogosian, Moulson, Gorges, and a 1st and two second rounders for Vanek. We got Vanek for a 1/2 season and Collberg and a pick back for Vanek. The only small saving grace is that we kept the pick last year and drafted Michael Dal Colle. Even drafting MDC was a wash at best since this years draft is much deeper and MDC would be a 4th or 5th round pick in this draft.

 

[ALLCAPSALLTHETIME]

This one springs to mind. Toronto traded a decently talented offensive player for a total goon.

Toronto trades Russ Courtnall to the Montreal Canadiens for Jon Kordic and a 6th Round Pick in 1989 (Mike Doers)

This one may be worse, though.

Pittsburgh traded Markus Naslund for Alek Stojanov who scored a combined 6 points in 2 years and then promptly retired.

Markus Naslund to Vancouver for Alek Stojanov

 

[Mr Fahrenheit]

Lots of Bruins trades

Espo
Middleton
Neely
Rask
Seguin

The first 4 have played themselves out and are one sided

Lots of trades take some time to figure out

Thornton

 

[TheAngryHank]

To Red Wings:
Kris Draper

To Jets:
$1

winner .lol I laugh every time.

 

[King'sPawn]

Jokinen and Luongo for Parrish and Kvasha
McCabe, Bertuzzi, and a pick (Ruutuu was the player they picked I believe)

Edit: They are all here.

http://thehockeywriters.com/top-10-worst-mike-milbury-trades-contracts-and-transactions/

One not mentioned is one that didn't happen... the trade was so bad that Bettman stepped in and said it had to be modified.

The original deal between the Kings and Islanders was

Kings receive:
Zigmund Palffy
Bryan Smolinski
Mike Watt
Marcel Cousineau

Islanders receive:
Mathieu Biron
Scott Barney
Josh Green
Jason Podollan
8th overall pick

http://nypost.com/1999/06/17/rangers-back-in-palffy-mix-commish-vetoes-isles-kings-deal/

The trade was modified to have Olli Jokinen replace Scott Barney, and Podollan was removed from the deal. A fourth round pick replaced Mike Watt.

So, factor in the trades which were so bad yet the league approved... this one was so bad the league had to step in and veto.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

In hindsight it is still largely better than the return the Penguins got when they traded Jagr to the Capitals.

Yes, but circumstances played heavily into that Penguins firesale. If the Penguins had that kind of talent in a capped NHL...the returns would have been glorious, instead it was in a league where only a couple teams could take on the contracts and...yeah. The Rangers were so convinced that they were the only team bidding for Jagr that their bid was Pavel Brendl, Jan Hlaváč, and some lesser third piece. Even with all three Caps prospects busting at least they were semi-legit prospects.

Regardless getting Alek Stojanov for Markus Naslund trumps those deals.

 

[MC Ride]

Not the worst but still ****
Phaneuf, Sjostrom, Aulie for Stajan, Jamal Mayers, Hagman and Ian White.

 

[MattMartin]

One not mentioned is one that didn't happen... the trade was so bad that Bettman stepped in and said it had to be modified.

The original deal between the Kings and Islanders was

Kings receive:
Zigmund Palffy
Bryan Smolinski
Mike Watt
Marcel Cousineau

Islanders receive:
Mathieu Biron
Scott Barney
Josh Green
Jason Podollan
8th overall pick

http://nypost.com/1999/06/17/rangers-back-in-palffy-mix-commish-vetoes-isles-kings-deal/

The trade was modified to have Olli Jokinen replace Scott Barney, and Podollan was removed from the deal. A fourth round pick replaced Mike Watt.

So, factor in the trades which were so bad yet the league approved... this one was so bad the league had to step in and veto.

And yet MM has a job talking hockey on a major network .

 

[Budddy]

Thornton

Jeez...forgot about that one too

Yep..another one..trade done quickly

Well...some good ones for the Bruins...others not so much

 

[rocket9fan]

Id say Roy is the worst, followed very close by Gomez and Seguin

 

[Deuce Awesome]

Not the worst of all time as I think the Esposito deal takes the cake on that one, but the most lopsided for a Leafs fan (we've had enough go the other way lately)

The Leafs acquired Gilmour along with Jamie Macoun, Ric Nattress, Kent Manderville, and Rick Wamsley in exchange for Gary Leeman, Alexander Godynyuk, Jeff Reese, Michel Petit and Craig Berube. The 10 player deal was the largest in NHL history, and statistically speaking, one of the most lopsided.

Gary Leeman was coming off a career year and looked to finally becoming a good player. Trade looked balanced at first although I was stoked about getting Gilmour.

Don't know what happened to Leeman but it never panned out for them.

 

[BLNY]

John Kordic for Russ Courtnall was a brutal one.

 

[Moose Head]

Le Trade

To Colorado:
Patrick Roy
Mike Keane

To Montreal:
Jocelyn Thibault
Martin Rucinsky
Andrei Kovalenko

Speaking of Patrick Roy, the Habs traded for the pick that they used to draft Roy. It ended up being Laroque for Picard who they ended up trading for a draft pick that turned out to be Patrick Roy.

Also, IMO, with the way things were going in Montreal at the time, I think Roy might have left as an UFAgent within a couple of years anyways. It was becoming a crap show there, and he knew it. So even without the 'incident', I think he eventually leaves the Habs to go to a team like the Av's, Wings or Flyers.

 

[kmad]

2nd round pick for Ken Dryden

Dominik Hasek for Stephane Beauregard

 

[Spektre]

Brett Hull traded to StL for Rob Ramage and Rick Wamsley.

That has to be the worst trade for Calgary and one of the most lopsided deals in NHL history.

 

[tjcurrie]

Gretzky to L.A. (Not sure how anyone can question how horrible it was)

Espo to Boston

Lafleur (pick) to Montreal

Those would be the top 3

Then probably the Roy to Colorado trade

I don't really consider the Lindros trade as one of the worst. Lindros did wonders for Philadelphia. He put them back on the map and made them an annual contender. Had they been a little better at managing other pieces like Colorado was (Shoring up the goaltending, etc) they may have won a Cup themselves. The fact that Forsberg turned out to be a superstar who some would argue was just as good as Lindros, and then there were pieces added on top of that also makes it appear bad when looking at it now, but all that Lindros did for Philly in those years can't be forgotten. And had he not had his health problems, I don't think anyone really brings it up here. Yes Philly gave a lot, but they profited quite a bit with what they got in return.

 

[The Panther]

John Kordic for Russ Courtnall was a brutal one.

It was mentioned (above). Yes, it was incredibly bad.

When I was a kid, Russ Courtnall was one of my favorite players, and when he was traded, I thought, "How could they trade him for this 4th line grinder? This is idiotic of the Leafs." It's a bit sad that I was smarter than Maple Leafs' management when I was 11 or 12.

Gretzky to L.A. (Not sure how anyone can question how horrible it was)

The Gretzky thing was, and is, so off-the-charts weird that it will always polarize opinion. It was certainly the single trade that most traumatized me as a kid.

The positive PR-spin on it is generally as summarized by earlier posters in this thread -- it spread the sport in California. Of course, from Edmonton fans' perspective, none of that is remotely relevant and the heart and soul of the team was simply ripped out, for empty financial (and also egotistical -- Pocklington's and Gretzky's) reasons.

I'm wondering if people would also think it's a positive thing if surfing was spread professionally to the Yukon and Siberia...

 

[Deuce Awesome]

Brett Hull traded to StL for Rob Ramage and Rick Wamsley.

That has to be the worst trade for Calgary and one of the most lopsided deals in NHL history.

No. On paper maybe, but Ramage and Wamsley threw them over the top to win the cup. If you are that close you go for it, it may never happen again.

 

[tjcurrie]

The Gretzky thing was, and is, so off-the-charts weird that it will always polarize opinion. It was certainly the single trade that most traumatized me as a kid.

The positive PR-spin on it is generally as summarized by earlier posters in this thread -- it spread the sport in California. Of course, from Edmonton fans' perspective, none of that is remotely relevant and the heart and soul of the team was simply ripped out, for empty financial (and also egotistical -- Pocklington's and Gretzky's) reasons.

I'm wondering if people would also think it's a positive thing if surfing was spread professionally to the Yukon and Siberia...

Yeah that in no way justifies the trade. In fact, if you were to ask me, it made it worse, but we won't go there.

What the trade did for L.A. or all of California or Mexico or Yugoslavia or whoever has no barring on how dumb it was for Edmonton. The argument that they won a Cup 2 years later still doesn't justify it either. They were fortunate to still have other pieces in place (Messier, Kurri, Simpson, Ranford coming up huge of course), but that compared to what they could have been is nothing. I think it's mostly those who weren't around at the time who say that stuff.

I've heard many say that the oilers would have won anywhere from 2-5 more Cups on top of that last one had they kept Gretzky. I argue that 1-2 is more realistic, but that's still pretty big regardless, and the overall big picture of what trading the best player in the league and to a guy who to most is the best player of all-time did to not only a franchise but an entire city has to be realized. They were completely hosed, and what the trade was all about ($$) has to be realized as well.

 

[tjcurrie]

No. On paper maybe, but Ramage and Wamsley threw them over the top to win the cup. If you are that close you go for it, it may never happen again.

The Hull trade is a weird one. On one hand, yes it was very lopsided. A HOFer who would go on to score well over 700 goals for who I believe at the time was a 2nd pairing defenseman, and a backup goalie just looks insane. Neither stuck around for very long either, and obviously Hull was a franchise/franchise saving player for St.louis. Would Calgary still do that trade if they knew what Hull would become? Maybe, if they also know they would win that Cup, but they probably try to find another way to get it done.

On the other hand, it was one of those sacrifices that a team right on the verge of winning makes. Wamsley I wouldn't say "threw them over the top" as he was just a backup and I don't think really even played in the playoffs that year (maybe one game), but Ramage certainly helped. They won their Cup, and that's what it's all about, but in the end it was still an extremely lopsided trade.

Maybe they win it anyways, very possible, but I would say that the Gretzky trade to L.A. may have had just as big of an impact on the Flames' championship, some would argue much bigger. Regardless of how highly anyone wants to rate Ramage's impact, if they don't win that one Cup then this trade certainly skyrockets to near the top of any "Worst Trade" list. Their only saving grace and justification for trading a future superstar and one of the top few greatest goal scorers of all-time is, "They won a Cup."

Just a weird one that could be looked at from different angles.

 

[Hobnobs]

The Hull trade is a weird one. On one hand, yes it was very lopsided. A HOFer who would go on to score well over 700 goals for who I believe at the time was a 2nd pairing defenseman, and a backup goalie just looks insane. Neither stuck around for very long either, and obviously Hull was a franchise/franchise saving player for St.louis. Would Calgary still do that trade if they knew what Hull would become? Maybe, if they also know they would win that Cup, but they probably try to find another way to get it done.

On the other hand, it was one of those sacrifices that a team right on the verge of winning makes. Wamsley I wouldn't say "threw them over the top" as he was just a backup and I don't think really even played in the playoffs that year (maybe one game), but Ramage certainly helped. They won their Cup, and that's what it's all about, but in the end it was still an extremely lopsided trade.

Maybe they win it anyways, very possible, but I would say that the Gretzky trade to L.A. may have had just as big of an impact on the Flames' championship, some would argue much bigger. Regardless of how highly anyone wants to rate Ramage's impact, if they don't win that one Cup then this trade certainly skyrockets to near the top of any "Worst Trade" list. Their only saving grace and justification for trading a future superstar and one of the top few greatest goal scorers of all-time is, "They won a Cup."

Just a weird one that could be looked at from different angles.

i dont even think its that bad of a trade even if they dont win a cup. Ramage is a hall of very good kinda player. Trading a future hofer for him isnt that bad of trade. If it was his father or anyone else alot better than Brett I would agree with you.