Your personal top trades/ signings from a L.A perspective?

[Captain Mittens*]

Top 10 worst trades in Kings history:

1) Traded Wayne Gretzky to St. Louis by Los Angeles for Craig Johnson, Patrice Tardif, Roman Vopat, St. Louis' 5th round choice (Peter Hogan) in 1996 Entry Draft and St. Louis' 1st round choice (Matt Zultek) in 1997 Entry Draft, February 27, 1996.

2) Traded Larry Murphy to Washington by Los Angeles for Ken Houston and Brian Engblom, October 18, 1983.

3) Traded Butch Goring to the New York Islanders by Los Angeles for Billy Harris and Dave Lewis, March 10, 1980.

4) Traded Darryl Sydor to Dallas by Los Angeles with Los Angeles' 5th round choice (Ryan Christie) in 1996 Entry Draft for Shane Churla and Doug Zmolek, February 17, 1996.

5) Traded Paul Coffey to Detroit by Los Angeles with Sylvain Couturier and Jim Hiller for Jimmy Carson, Marc Potvin and Gary Shuchuk, January 29, 1993.

6) Traded Kevin Stevens to Pittsburgh by Los Angeles for Anders Hakansson, September 9, 1983.

7) Traded Jay Wells to Philadelphia by Los Angeles for Doug Crossman, September 29, 1988.

8) Traded Luc Robitaille to Pittsburgh by Los Angeles for Rick Tocchet and Pittsburgh's 2nd round choice (Pavel Rosa) in 1995 Entry Draft, July 29, 1994.

9) Traded Alexei Zhitnik to Buffalo by Los Angeles with Robb Stauber, Charlie Huddy and Los Angeles' 5th round choice (Marian Menhart) in 1995 Entry Draft for Philippe Boucher, Denis Tsygurov and Grant Fuhr, February 14, 1995.

10) Traded Rob Blake to Colorado by Los Angeles with Steve Reinprecht for Adam Deadmarsh, Aaron Miller, a player to be named later (Jared Aulin, March 22, 2001) and Colorado's 1st round choices in 2001 (Dave Steckel) and 2003 (Brian Boyle) Entry Drafts, February 21, 2001.

I know some may defend the Blake trade, but in the end, the Kings had nothing to show for trading one of the top defensemen in the NHL, and the Avs went on to win a Cup and got many productive years out of Blake. But that was a different time when the organization was run by Leiweke.

Honorable mention goes to all of the first round draft picks the Kings traded away that turned into Ray Bourque, Phil Housley, and Tom Barrasso. I didn't include those deals because knowing the Kings back then, they probably would have drafted the next Dan Gratton or Craig Duncanson.

The Murray and Stumpel for Allison and Eloranta trade has to be in there too

 

[Herby]

The Blake trade was bad because Deadmarsh got injured, the Kings chose the wrong Avs prospect and the Kings butchered the draft picks. The value itself was more than fair.

If Deadmarsh stays healthy, the Kings choose Vrbata as the prospect instead of Aulin and Taylor isn't obsessed with giant centers the Kings could have been ok.

2001 they took Steckel, passed on Derek Roy, Fedor Tyutin, Mike Cammalleri and Jason Pominville who all went within the next 25 picks.

2003 was even worse, Kings took Boyle and passed on Corey Perry, Shea Weber, Patrice Bergeron, Loui Eriksson and David Backes (how did Taylor not draft this guy)

Even if Taylor chooses Vrbata, still whiffs on Steckel and then goes with Perry in 2003 the trade is an enormous winner for the Kings.

The 2003 draft was Dave Taylor's undoing, guy was smart enough to get three 1st rounders in the draft of the generation, and absolutely **** the bed.

 

[Johnny Utah]

The Blake trade should have worked out, but it didn't. Aaron Miller gave us some solid years though.

Getting McSorley back cost us quite a bit as well.

Dan Cloutier for a few 2nd's is one of the worst.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Given the team's history with bad trades, a top 20 list would probably be more appropriate.

 

[Muzzinga]

Both the Carter and Williams trades involved getting a great player for a terrible player + pick

Not sure it gets much better

 

[yankeeking]

even 20 probably is not enough......my personal worst was larry murphy, butch goring and trading another number one away for rick martin who played 4 games for us and then retired and the Sabres got tom barraso who played for like 17 years and I think won a cup with pitt.

PS another one was whoever we got for our 1972 1st pick which turned into Steve Shutt HOF if we had picked him instead of mont. we would have had him, kozak,hutchinson in the first three rounds............I loved JKC but he never met a first rounder he wouldn't trade lol....makes you love DL alittle more as we go thru these hey

 

[JT Dutch*]

Dean Lombardi was the best signing the Kings have ever made.

That's funny.

Top 10 best trades in Kings history:

Bernie Nicholls to the Rangers for Tomas Sandstrom and Tony Granato was an All-Time top five deal for the Kings, despite Nicholls being one of my favorite players ever.

Traded Paul Coffey to Detroit by Los Angeles with Sylvain Couturier and Jim Hiller for Jimmy Carson, Marc Potvin and Gary Shuchuk, January 29, 1993.

That trade cost the Kings a Stanley Cup. It probably should be #1 on the list.

Traded Alexei Zhitnik to Buffalo by Los Angeles with Robb Stauber, Charlie Huddy and Los Angeles' 5th round choice (Marian Menhart) in 1995 Entry Draft for Philippe Boucher, Denis Tsygurov and Grant Fuhr, February 14, 1995.

That trade would have worked out a lot better for the Kings, had they shown any semblance of patience.

I know some may defend the Blake trade, but in the end, the Kings had nothing to show for trading one of the top defensemen in the NHL

With the way the Kings treated Rob Blake, they got what they deserved in the end.

 

[kingsfan]

The Blake trade was bad because Deadmarsh got injured, the Kings chose the wrong Avs prospect and the Kings butchered the draft picks. The value itself was more than fair.

If Deadmarsh stays healthy, the Kings choose Vrbata as the prospect instead of Aulin and Taylor isn't obsessed with giant centers the Kings could have been ok.

2001 they took Steckel, passed on Derek Roy, Fedor Tyutin, Mike Cammalleri and Jason Pominville who all went within the next 25 picks.

2003 was even worse, Kings took Boyle and passed on Corey Perry, Shea Weber, Patrice Bergeron, Loui Eriksson and David Backes (how did Taylor not draft this guy)

Even if Taylor chooses Vrbata, still whiffs on Steckel and then goes with Perry in 2003 the trade is an enormous winner for the Kings.

The 2003 draft was Dave Taylor's undoing, guy was smart enough to get three 1st rounders in the draft of the generation, and absolutely **** the bed.

This. The Blake trade in and of itself was actually a huge win. To get A legit 25 goal power forward, a #4-6 defenseman, the option to pick one really good prospect and at least two good draft picks for a UFA to be and a decent, albeit unspectacular forward in Reinprecht was a steal. Still is the greatest return on a rental UFA (which Blake was at the time) in NHL history in my opinion.

The fact Deadmarsh got his career ended 100 games later and Murray/Taylor could draft worth **** with those picks is the downfall of the deal. If Deadmarsh stayed healthy and Futa was drafting for us we'd have won another cup or two off that trade.

As Herby said, imagine the Kings with Perry, Vrbata and Pominville?

 

[Quattro]

The Zhitnik trade will always be the worst for me

 

[johnjm22]

Another bad trade was Kimmo Timonen to Nashville for future considerations. In return, the Predators agreed not to select Gary Galley in the expansion draft.

The Kings also made a number deadline acquisitions under Taylor that never seemed to work out; Ronning, Anson Carter & Mark Parrish all come to mind.

 

[Rorschach]

I like Lombardi trading up to get Toffoli and DT ripping off NYR for Norstrom.

 

[kingsfan]

Another bad trade was Kimmo Timonen to Nashville for future considerations. In return, the Predators agreed not to select Gary Galley in the expansion draft.

The Kings also made a number deadline acquisitions under Taylor that never seemed to work out; Ronning, Anson Carter & Mark Parrish all come to mind.

I believe they actually agreed not to select one of Storr or Fiset, whichever we didn't protect. We sent them Jan Vopat as well.

 

[Herby]

The Kings gave the Preds a bunch of assets if the Preds agreed to select Kings farm hand goaltender Freddy Chabot in the 1998 expansion draft, this assured the Kings would not only keep Fiset and Storr for that year, but since Nashville took a Kings goalie in that expansion draft, the Kings would not be eligible to lose a goaltender in the Thrashers expansion draft the next year, thus assuring they would hang onto Storr and Fiset the next year as well.

I believe it was some combination of Timonen, Jan Vopat and Marian Cisar.

And ofcourse Timonen would go on to play 1000+ games of very high level hockey for the Predators and Flyers.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Herby has it right concerning the Kings' agreement to send Timonen to Nashville. They also dealt Vitali Yachmenev there as well. The Kings supposedly sent a number of assets to Nashville in order to protect themselves of losing another goaltender, but also to protect them from losing Jere Karalahti. Of course, a couple of years later, they would end up sending Karalahti to Nashville.

 

[Lead Role in a Cage]

In the 70's the Dionne trade by far the best. In the 80's I guess Gretzky a pretty good trade. I liked the Nicholls-Granato/Sandstrom and Palffy trades from the 90s and from 00 until now the Richards, Carter, Williams and Johnson/Gleason (from a value standpoint) trades were good to great.

But looking through old trades is a shocking read. Sorry for sidetracking but in the spirit of Kings trades I present to you this.

In 1968 Boston acquired the Kings first round pick of the 1970 draft (turned out to be Reggie Leach- 3rd overall) for Skip Krake. Who? I really don't know.

A month later (June 68) Gerry Desjardins is acquired by the Kings from the Canadiens for first round picks of 1969 (Dick Redmond, 5th overall) and 1972 (Steve Shutt, 4th overall).

In 1969, the Canadiens gets draft picks 17, 31 and 45. Kings get draft picks 24 and 38, plus the rights to Jean Potvin (the brother of Denis Potvin). Doesn't matter what the picks turned out to be. Can someone rationally explain to me why the rights to Jean Potvin would equal Montreal moving up in the draft as well as gaining an extra pick?

In 1969 Kings acquire Ross Lonsberry (who enjoyed winning a couple of cups on the Flyers a few years later) and Eddie Shack for two first round picks (in 71 and 73- both were 6th overall) and Ken Turlik (never played a game in the show).

In 1970 the Kings acquire 39 games of 33 year old Dick Duff for Dennis Hextall and a second round pick in the 71 draft (20-th overall Larry Robinson).

10 months later, but the same year in December, the Kings trade away Dick Duff along with Eddie Shack to Buffalo for Mike McMahon Jr (never played a game for the Kings), a 7th and a 8th round draft pick in the 71 draft. Draft picks schmaft picks.

1972 the Kings acquire Terry Harper for 1st round draft picks in the 75 and 76 drafts, 2nd round pick in 74 and 3rd round pick in 75. Harper was part of the Dionne trade, which is dandy and all, but this is a pretty steep price to pay for a Terry Harper.

in 1973 Montreal acquires the Kings first round draft pick of the 1974 draft (Mario Tremblay, 12th overall) for Bob Murdoch and Randy Rota.

Other teams caught up and in 74 the Rangers traded Gene Carr for the Kings 1977 first round draft pick (Ron Duguay, 13th overall).

The Kings 1978 first round draft pick was acquired in June 12 1976, packaged with a 1977 third rounder, by the Montreal Canadiens for Glen Goldup (who?) and a 1978 third rounder.

In October 1978 Boston acquires the Kings first round pick of the 79 draft (8th overall, Ray Bourque) for 60 some games of Ron Grahame.

1980 Kings acquire Jerry Korab from Buffalo for the first rounder of 1980 (6th overall, Phil Housley).

1981 Buffalo (Scotty Bowman) trades Rick Martin to the Kings for 1983 first rounder (5th overall, Tom Barrasso) and an 81 3rd rounder.

In 1983 a straight players trade, trading away 22 year old Larry Murphy for Ken Houston and Brian Engblom. I mean, really?

For further reading. See: http://www.nhltradetracker.com/user/trade_list_by_team/Los_Angeles_Kings/18

All in all, the most emotionally attached trade for me was the Sandstrom/McEachern-McSorley/Paek trade. Essentially trading away my favorite player at the time (Sandstrom) for Jim ****ing Paek.

Hindsight is what it is, and some draft picks turned out to be studs and/or multiple Stanley Cup champions (Shutt, Leach, Housley) or just all time greats (Bourque, Robinson), which I guess has nothing to do with a specific trade in a vacuum. The Kings however never allowed themselves to even try drafting among the highest rated young players, while Montreal feasted on the Kings picks, allowing themselves for a greater chance of booming than busting.

During the 70's the Kings drafted twice in the first round. They lucked out on the Dionne trade but the rest is ugly reading.

 

[kingsholygrail]

Wasn't there a whole monopoly on Canadian draft picks back then?

 

[Jason Lewis]

Silver lining here I guess, if Taylor HAD hit a homerun with all those picks we likely never would have landed Drew Doughty or Kopitar.

It's something.

 

[kingsfan]

The Kings gave the Preds a bunch of assets if the Preds agreed to select Kings farm hand goaltender Freddy Chabot in the 1998 expansion draft, this assured the Kings would not only keep Fiset and Storr for that year, but since Nashville took a Kings goalie in that expansion draft, the Kings would not be eligible to lose a goaltender in the Thrashers expansion draft the next year, thus assuring they would hang onto Storr and Fiset the next year as well.

I believe it was some combination of Timonen, Jan Vopat and Marian Cisar.

And ofcourse Timonen would go on to play 1000+ games of very high level hockey for the Predators and Flyers.

Yep, that sounds about right.

I think we also did some sort of a deal to protect our goalies in another expansion draft around the same time as well. There were three expansion drafts, I think we had to work out some sort of a deal for two of them.