Two of the most heinous trades in RW history happened that year. Oates for Federko/McKegney was god awful. I can't imagine the prowess of the winged wheel if they kept Oates and had Yzerman/Oates/Fedorov up the middle.
Also, Klima and Adam Graves to Edm for Carson. Jimmy Devallano should have been taken out behind the tool shed and put down.
Don't forget Joe Murphy.
The whole Jimmy Carson vs Joe Murphy thing is a huge black mark on Jimmy D.
Detroit has the first pick of the draft in 1986. (Turned out to be a pretty lame draft).
The main options were
1) Jimmy Carson - home grown kid from Southfield who'd gone the Lafontaine route to play in Quebec juniors - and we know how badly Ilitch wanted Lafontaine.
2) Joe Murphy - Canadian kid who'd just finished his freshman year at Michigan State.
Detroit opted for Murphy. But Murphy could't crack the Wings lineup and played in Adirondack. The next year, Murphy played 50 games in Detroit but managed 20 points. In his third post-draft season, he spent a majority of the season in Adirondack.
Meanwhile, Carson scores 37 goals as a rookie.
He follows it up with a 55goal, 107-point season.
Then he's traded to Edmonton in the Gretzky trade and outs up 49 goals and 100 points.
So after 3 years, the #1 overall pick playing in Adirondack.
The hometown kid they didn't draft is averaging more than 40 goals a year.
So, early in year 4, the Red Wings trade Murphy, Klima, Graves and Jeff Sharpes for Carson, McLelland and a fifth round pick.
Carson's career immediately nosedives in Detroit.
He posted a couple more decent years, but he was never a highly thought of player.
Meanwhile, Joe Murphy, Graves and Klima helped Edmonton win the cup in 1990.
Murphy posted 14 points in 22 games. Graves 11 points. Klima 5 goals.
Murphy went on to have a solid career, scoring 35 goals and 82 points at his peak.
Graves went on to be a 50-goal man with the Rangers, where he won a cup and was 2nd team All Star.
Even Klima had more post-trade success than Carson.
Here's more about Carson, who's apparently adjusted nicely to post-hockey life.
https://thehockeywriters.com/what-ever-happened-to-jimmy-carson/