Speculation: Craziest trades that almost happened

Brodeur

Registered User
Feb 27, 2002
26,767
17,568
San Diego
F me as a Sens fan on that one :(

With the Broberg offer sheet, the hypothetically Meszaros one popped up in my brain again. I wondered if Ottawa would have taken Hedman or Duchene had they had #2 in 2009. My knee jerk thought was Hedman for sure, but then I remembered that Ottawa tried to trade up for Nazem Kadri at that draft so maybe Duchene would have been a consideration.
 

ManofSteel55

Registered User
Aug 15, 2013
33,568
14,091
Sylvan Lake, Alberta
The Whalers almost traded Ronny Francis for F’in John Cullen.

Wait….. what?!?!
I mean, John Cullen was a good player at the time in his own right - he was also a PPG All Star, but I can't fathom what incentive the Whalers had to move Francis at the time, their franchise player. At best, it was looking like a fairly even trade even at the time, it just makes so little sense to me.
 

DaBroons

Registered User
Aug 2, 2005
1,533
1,116
Johnny Gaudreau and the 6th overall pick(Sean Monahan) to Boston for Tyler Seguin was close I think at the 2013 draft.
Baertschi was also to be included. The trade was contingent upon the player Boston (Chia) wanted being available at #6.

Alas, he was taken by Carolina at #5.

The player was - WAIT FOR IT -

Elias Lindholm
 
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DaBroons

Registered User
Aug 2, 2005
1,533
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Pittsburgh once called Milt Schmidt and asked if da Broons would consider trading Orr.

Milt replied, "What have you got to offer for Bobby Orr?"

Pittsburg: "The entire franchise?"

Milt declined.
 

DaBroons

Registered User
Aug 2, 2005
1,533
1,116
I’ve always been so curious what the market was for Tuukka Rask when the Bruins traded Martin Jones to SJ instead.
Rumor was that Sweeney, at the draft in 2015, after trading Lucic and Dougie Hamilton, was going to trade Tuukka (keeping Jones), and also trade Krejci. Ownership vetoed both moves, saying it was too much of a rebuild.

I have no idea how far any conversations went, if any, regarding those two Broons' players.

Also, not a trade, but a draft day, franchise altering event, in 1980. I read in the Boston Globe that morning, an article written by the late, great Fran Rosa (can you believe we had Rosa, D Leo Monahan, and Mike Loftus all covering da Broons; all 3 are gone now).In that article, Rosa stated that Harry Sinden coveted two players in the draft that day.

The second player was Birmingham Bulls winger Keith Crowder (selected by da Broons in the 3rd round).

With their 1st round pick, Rosa stated that Sinden coveted Portland Winter Hawk d-man Keith Brown. Alas, he was selected by Chicago with the previous pick. Sinden was forced to settle for a scrawny d-man from the Montreal suburbs named - WAIT FOR IT -

Raymond Bourque.
 
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John Garretts KD

Registered User
Aug 4, 2024
54
147
The Canucks offered Bieksa, Burrows, and 22nd overall for the 2nd overall pick in 2009 (Hedman). Tampa rejected it.

Ownership wanted the Canucks to trade Ryan Kesler, Cory Schneider, and Alex Edler for Brad Richards, which apparently GM Nonis vetoed.
 

frightenedinmatenum2

Registered User
Sep 30, 2023
2,954
3,316
Orange County Prison
Just watched a random video about the Lightning and apparently Tampa offered package for EK65 was Tyler Johnson, Ryan Callahan, Alex Killorn, and Mikhail Sergachev. I guess Ottawa wanted Brayden Point but Tampa said no.

I highly doubt the Senators would have turned down that package unless it were a money thing. The Senators tried to get Sergachev when he was drafted but couldn't trade up. So they clearly already liked him. A trade like that would like had to have been EK+Ryan for those players, because there would be too much money going to Ottawa. A lot of those players had trade protection as well, and I doubt they waive to go to Ottawa.

I still do wonder if Ottawa and Tampa had a deal when Simpson botched it and announced it. I know that Simpson is seen as a bit of a troll among Sens media figures, but I can't see why he would announce something like that unless he was absolutely sure. With how involved Melnyk apparently was in the EK trade, I wonder if Dorion negotiated something then he had to go back on it because of money or Melnyk not liking the return.

Vegas and Ottawa were apparently very close on a package with Ryan+EK, but Ottawa wanted Glass as the main piece, presumably not Brannstrom or Suzuki.

When things got down to the wire, Dallas offered Hintz, Honka, Shore, and "draft picks". I assume one of those was a first, but it was never clarified.

I also remember Freidman talking after the fact about how San Jose and Ottawa might have been close to something at the deadline, and I think he speculated that it would have included Meier.
 

Stephen

Moderator
Feb 28, 2002
81,523
59,309
Not that this almost happened but Maurice Richard to the Leafs back in the 1940s probably would have altered the very character of two Original Six franchises.

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kvladimir

Registered User
Dec 1, 2010
1,019
599
The Canucks offered Bieksa, Burrows, and 22nd overall for the 2nd overall pick in 2009 (Hedman). Tampa rejected it.

Ownership wanted the Canucks to trade Ryan Kesler, Cory Schneider, and Alex Edler for Brad Richards, which apparently GM Nonis vetoed.
I remember this, I think they were going to deal a 1st with that package too. I doubt it would have been protected, so safe to say it would have been their '08 pick, which was Hodgson, but adding Richards probably would have bumped them down in the draft order a bit (edit: in Tampa's hands, perhaps they would have landed Erik Karlsson?)

Not sure they even would have made the playoffs after doing this, shows how short sighted management was. The conflict definitely led to Nonis being fired that offseason and replaced with Gillis, who also had to ward off management stupidity on several occasions... :help:
 

HuGort

Registered User
Jun 15, 2012
21,726
10,712
Nova Scotia
Montreal almost traded Harris and 21st pick for Zegras. Good they refused it because Laine and Hage, 2nd are probably better
 

mundyc3

Registered User
May 17, 2017
1,503
1,437
Las Vegas, NV
Heard Gary Lawless on NHL Network Radio say that the only reason the Tatar trade happened in 2018 was because the Knights called early on deadline day saying if these pieces are still available right up at the deadline, then they will trade for Tatar. They had a deal with Ottawa for EK65 that never crossed the finish line. If that trade would have gone through, large ramifications for the Knights. In all likelihood they'd never get Mark Stone the next deadline, Max Pacioretty trade may never have been made that included Tatar (and Nick Suzuki). Who knows what it would have meant for the playoffs in '18.
 

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