Worst trades in NHL history

ChuckW

Keep the Hurricanes great!
May 15, 2009
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808
Parts unknown
This has probably been done many times before, but I am too lazy to search.

What are the worst trades in NHL history? Hindsight is 20/20, but which GMs had the absolute worst FORESIGHT ever?

As I am a Carolina/Hartford fan, I will give you two right off the bat involving my team:

1) Everyone knows this one, but the Whalers trading Ron Francis and Ulf Samuelsson to Pittsburgh for...Zarley Zalapski and...a bag of pucks? Something like that. This has to be a contender for worst trade of all time in the NHL. It handed Mario Lemieux 2 Cups, and handed the Whalers...um...nothing?

2) Carolina sent Justin Williams to LA for Patrick O'Sullivan and...somehow, Erik Cole (3 team deal). Cole was okay in his second stint, but nothing incredible. O'Sullivan stank up the joint, and LA got 2 Cups with Williams scoring every clutch goal in each run - or close to it.

Go ahead, top these two debacles. I dare you.
 

Seb

All we are is Dustin Byfuglien
Jul 15, 2006
17,284
12,322
I believe the Patrick Roy trade is the worst ever.
 

waitin425

Registered User
Jan 10, 2009
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Canada
Phil Kessel for two 1sts and a 2nd.

I honestly believe if that trade was never made, the leafs would be so much further along their rebuild.
 

HuGo Sham

MR. CLEAN-up ©Runner77
Apr 7, 2010
27,628
18,935
Montreal
Roy, Chelios and of course the recent gomez/MacD deal are probably three worst habs trades of last 30 years
 

THall4

Registered User
Feb 25, 2014
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Edmonton, AB
Joe Thornton trade was atrocious too....

Boston traded a franchise C for Marco Sturm, Wayne Primeau and Brad Stuart

Sturm was hot garbage for Boston and Stuart and Primeau played a season and a half before being dealt to CGY
 

FlaPantherSwe*

Guest
Panthers= Trading Lou to Canucks
Canucks= Trading Bure to Florida
Islanders= Trading for Yashin
Philadelphia= Trading for Lindros.. (that package yikes)
Montreal= Trading Roy to Colorado (for bags of pucks)
 
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Poulin 0n My St1ck

Registered User
Oct 18, 2010
3,054
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Almost every Mad Mike trade

But seriously, he probably has 2 in the 10 worst trades of all-time, which he managed in accomplish in back-to-back off-seasons.
 

Eisen

Registered User
Sep 30, 2009
16,737
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Duesseldorf
Any trade where one team wins 2 Cups basically due in large part JUST to that trade (and the other team gets bupkiss) has to be up there, hence my #1 and my #2.

It's not only that. They drafted Quick, Kopitar and Doughty, and traded for Richards and Carter. I mean, yeah, Willliams was nice, but he is not the straw that stirs the drink there.
 

Seb

All we are is Dustin Byfuglien
Jul 15, 2006
17,284
12,322
going the other way Pacioretty and Gorges for Rivet was a pretty terrible one for San Jose

It wasn't Pacioretty, it was a first round pick (that turned out to be Max Pac).

But you're right, it's a very bad trade for SJ and at the time I was more than happy for the Habs to get rid of Rivet. God I hated him.
 

alexny

Registered User
Jun 15, 2014
656
0
Philadelphia= Trading for Lindros.. (that package yikes)

He was a great player in his prime, but the Lindros trade was bad. The Avs built a powerhouse off that trade, and the Flyers got one SCF appearance out of it. The Rangers were so lucky that the Flyers didn't take their crazy proposed package.

I thought at the time and still do that the Seguin trade was terrible.
 

FlaPantherSwe*

Guest
Joe Thornton trade was atrocious too....

Boston traded a franchise C for Marco Sturm, Wayne Primeau and Brad Stuart

Sturm was hot garbage for Boston and Stuart and Primeau played a season and a half before being dealt to CGY

I did not know this.. On par with Roy trade, except for the fact that the Roy trade atleast had it's reasons. Wow stunned
 

Paper

Registered User
Nov 4, 2009
4,559
2,091
Leafs trading Leeman, Berube, Petit, Godynyuk and Reese for a bunch of scrubs.
 

Mac n Gs

Gorton plz
Jan 17, 2014
22,580
12,822
As a neutral fan, Toronto trading for Tom Kurvers and giving up the draft pick the became Scott Niedermayer is pretty bad.
 

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