Some NHL trades alter a team for a few weeks; others change the course of a hockey club for years. And then there are trades that impact the entire franchise. This kind of trade leads to a Stanley Cup (or many), signifies a changing of the guard, or marks a new direction for the franchise moving forward.
In Part 2 of our feature, we look at the trades that rocked the 15 teams in the Western Conference.
Anaheim Ducks
For a team that has been in the league for just over 18 seasons, the Anaheim Ducks have had a lot of success as an NHL franchise.
One of the main reasons for Anaheim Ducks’ success in its relatively brief 18-year history is because of a trade the organization made back on Feb. 7, 1996. It was on that day the Ducks traded Chad Kilger, Oleg Tverdovsky, and a third-round draft pick to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for Marc Chouinard, a fourth-round draft pick, and most notably, star right winger Teemu Selanne.
Selanne went on to become perhaps the franchise’s best player in leading the Ducks to their first Stanley Cup in franchise history, in 2007. In over 12 seasons with the Ducks, Selanne has scored more than 430 goals and more than 490 assists.
Selanne is the all-time leading scorer in Ducks’ history and is no doubt the main reason for the team’s success for several seasons.
Calgary Flames
The current face of the franchise was acquired by trading a significant component of the Calgary Flames’ history. In 1996, the Flames’ traded Joe Nieuwendyk to the Dallas Stars in exchange for forward Jarome Iginla.
While Nieuwendyk went on to win a Cup with the Stars in 1999, Iginla has gone on to become the Flames’ franchise player and longtime leader. In over 14 seasons with the Flames, Iginla has gone on to score more than 500 career goals and produce over 1,050 points. He led the Flames to the Stanley Cup final in 2004, when the team lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in seven games.
Iginla may not have a Cup yet, but he has done everything else and more for the Flames’ organization.
Chicago Blackhawks
Sometimes, to get a franchise player, you have a trade a franchise-type player.
This is exactly what happened back on June 29, 1990. On this day, the Chicago Blackhawks traded offensive superstar and human highlight reel Denis Savard to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for defenceman Chris Chelios.
Little did the Blackhawks know that Chelios would turn out to be everything and more to the Blackhawks for nine seasons. He would be one of the most respected team captains in the NHL from 1995 to 1999, become the all-time leader in penalty minutes for the Blackhawks, win two Norris trophies as the league’s top defenceman, and played in eight All-Star Games.
Chelios was — and still is — a big member of the Chicago community and could go down as the Blackhawks’ best defenseman ever.
Colorado Avalanche
In its first 16 seasons in the NHL, the Colorado Avalanche has enjoyed plenty of success. The team has won two Stanley Cups (1996, 2001), claimed several division titles, and been to the Western Conference Finals five times. One of the main reasons for this is because of one trade that was made back in the 1992 offseason.
It was then that the then Quebec Nordiques acquired Peter Forsberg from the Philadelphia Flyers in deal that saw the supposed “next one,” Eric Lindros, go to the Flyers. While Lindros would go on to have a successful NHL career, it would be the Nordiques/Avalanche who would come out on top.
Forsberg would go on to win a Calder Trophy (1995), an Art Ross Trophy (2003), a Hart Trophy (2003), and two Stanley Cups (1996, 2001) with the Nordiques/ Avalanche, while Lindros failed to deliver the big trophy anywhere he played.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Not only do the Columbus Blue Jackets struggle on the ice, but they also have trouble off it — especially when it comes to making trades.
It is easy to say now that acquiring Jeff Carter from the Philadelphia Flyers changed the team’s franchise for the worst. The Blue Jackets traded Jakub Voracek, a first-round draft pick that turned into Sean Couturier, and another draft choice to get Carter.
Up to this point, the deal has been an absolute nightmare for the Jackets. Carter has expressed his feelings in wanting to be dealt away, has been injured on and off this season, and has not been as productive as the Blue Jackets would have hoped.
On the other side, the Flyers are getting consistent play from both Vorachek and Couturier.
Dallas Stars
When it comes to making deals that could change the face of the franchise for years to come, NHL general managers sometimes to have to mortgage the future in order to get a greater return.
In 1996, the Dallas Stars traded forward Jarome Iginla to the Calgary Flames in exchange for productive forward Joe Nieuwendyk. While it is probably tough for fans to wonder what having Iginla in a Stars’ jersey would have been like, there is no doubt that Nieuwendyk delivered the most important trophy to the organization back in the 1998-99 season.
That season, Nieuwendyk led the Stars to their first Stanley Cup in team history and was an integral part of the club in the postseason; he was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the league’s most valuable player in the postseason.
Detroit Red Wings
Even when the team already dressed the likes of Steve Yzerman, Sergei Fedorov, Nicklas Lidstrom, Viacheslav Fetisov, Chris Osgood, and Mike Vernon, the Detroit Red Wings went out a made a deal for a player that would help the team win three Stanley Cups between the 1996-97 and 2001-02 seasons.
Two games into the 1996-97 season, the Red Wings traded forward Keith Primeau, defenceman Paul Coffey and a first-round pick to the Hartford Whalers in exchange for Brian Glynn and power forward Brendan Shanahan. It was a trade that would pay immediate dividends for the Winged Wheel.
Shanahan would play with the Red Wings for 10 seasons. In that span, he helped the Red Wings to three Stanley Cups (1997, 1998, 2002), scored 309 goals and 633 points in 716 games, won the King Clancy Memorial trophy for his humanitarian efforts, and was named to the NHL All-Star game in five of his 10 seasons.
Edmonton Oilers
This one is a no-brainer.
On Aug. 9, 1988, the Edmonton Oilers traded a teary-eyed Wayne Gretzky, Marty McSorley, and Mike Krushelynski to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for Jimmy Carson, Martin Geilnas, three first-round draft picks and cash. It was a trade heard not only around the hockey world, but the entire sports world as well.
Up until that point, Gretzky had been everything to the Oilers. He led the team to four Cups in five years, won multiple scoring titles and was the leader and face of the franchise.
To this day, Oilers’ fans continue to talk about this trade and wonder what might have been had he stayed with the Oilers.
Los Angeles Kings
Just like the previous team we covered, the Los Angeles Kings’ trade that rocked not only the franchise is the one that revolved around Gretzky.
This trade would change hockey for the better in the United States. It led to teams being put in San Jose, Anaheim, Tampa Bay and Florida, putting hockey more firmly on the U.S. map.
Of course, the deal certainly did not hurt the Kings. Gretzky would spend eight seasons with the Kings, accumulating 204 goals and 918 goals while getting the Kings into the playoffs on a consistent basis. He even led the team to a Cup final in 1993, where they would lose to the Montreal Canadiens in five games.
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild have only been in the league for 10 years but have found ways to make big moves when necessary.
The two deals that shook the franchise the hardest occurred in late June of 2011, just prior to the NHL Entry Draft. In the first deal, the Wild traded all-star defenceman Brent Burns in exchange for Devin Setoguchi, Charlie Coyle, and a first-round draft pick, which turned into Zach Phillips. In the second deal, the Wild traded forward Martin Havlat to the Sharks in exchange for Dany Heatley.
After Marian Gaborik left the Wild to sign with the New York Rangers in the summer of 2009, Wild captain Mikko Koivu and Burns worked extremely hard for the Wild. With that said, the team was struggling to score goals on a consistent basis and needed scoring up front.
It will be interesting to see what kind of impression Heatley and Setoguchi leave on the Wild.
Nashville Predators
Believe it or not, the Nashville Predators perhaps made their biggest trade as a franchise before they even stepped on the ice for the first time in the 1998-99 season.
At the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, the Predators acquired the San Jose Sharks’ first-round and third-round picks in exchange for Nashville’s first-round and second-round picks. This allowed the Predators to move from third to second in the Round 1 draft order.
With their first pick as an NHL franchise, the Preds took David Legwand. Still a Predator today, Legwand is currently the franchise record-holder in points, goals, assists, games, game-winning goals, shots, playoff goals, playoff assists, playoff points, playoff games, playoff shots, playoff shorthanded goals, and playoff shorthanded points.
Phoenix Coyotes
Hindsight can show that NHL general managers don’t always think clearly when it comes to making trades.
On March 10, 2003, the Phoenix Coyotes traded Daniel Briere and a 2004 third-round draft pick (Andrej Sekera) to the Buffalo Sabres for Chris Gratton and a 2004 fourth-round pick.
Briere went on to be wildly successful with the Sabres for three seasons. Briere scored 85 regular-season goals, 218 points, and had a terrific playoffs in the 2006. He scored 19 points in 18 games, leading the Sabres to within one game of the Stanley Cup final.
Gratton, on the other hand, was a bust in Phoenix. He played just two seasons and had 30 points in 72 games.
San Jose Sharks
San Jose Sharks general manager Doug Wilson made history on Nov. 30, 2005. Wilson traded away Marco Sturm, Brad Stuart, and Wayne Primeau for the captain of the Boston Bruins, Joe Thornton.
Since becoming a Shark, “Jumbo Joe” has won a scoring title (2006), won a Hart Memorial Trophy as the league’s most valuable player (2006), helped the team to the Western Conference finals on multiple occasions, and has recorded more than 590 points in over 520 games.
The only thing Thornton has yet to do for the Sharks is lead them to a Cup, something all Sharks fans hope will happen in the near future.
St. Louis Blues
Point-producing defencemen are always a good find. When you get a chance to acquire one, go for it.
That is exactly what the St. Louis Blues did back on July 4, 1994, when they traded offensive defenceman Phil Housley, a 1996 second-round pick and a 1997 second-round pick to the Calgary Flames for Al MacInnis and a 1997 fourth-round pick.
MacInnis would spend 10 seasons in a Blues uniform and become one of the best defenceman in franchise history. MacInnis put up 40 or more points in seven of those 10 seasons and won the Norris Trophy in 1998-99.
MacInnis finished his career with 1,274 points; a Stanley Cup and a Conn Smythe Trophy with the Flames in 1989; and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2007.
Vancouver Canucks
On June 23, 2006, the Vancouver Canucks wound up making the biggest trade in franchise history, one that still has people questioning whether it was worth it.
On that day, the Canucks traded goaltender Alex Auld, power forward Todd Bertuzzi and a 2007 conditional sixth-round pick for superstar netminder Roberto Luongo, Lukas Krajicek and a 2006 sixth-round pick. Five years later, and with a 12-year deal worth $64 million, the Canucks are stuck with Luongo for better or for worse at the moment.
Luongo has helped the Canucks to divisional titles, earn a spot in the 2011 Stanley Cup final, and has won more than 200 games with the team. With that said, one has to wonder if the Canucks’ biggest acquisition in franchise history might give way to current backup goaltender Cory Schneider in the near future.
