Worst Trades in NHL History

As you are reading this it is probably trade deadline day in the NHL and like me you are no doubt in front of your couch watching TSN and enjoying the 3rd best day of the calender year.  Hopefully there will be lots of deals in order to ensure that the day is not wasted.  With all of the excitement in the air I felt that the best thing to write about would be NHL trades that have gone bad.  Here are a few that I picked out and I hope you enjoy.

5. Vancouver Canucks trade Trevor Linden to New York Islanders for Todd Bertuzzi, Bryan McCabe, and a first-round pick (Jarko Ruutu)

Reason:

At the time, it was tough to watch the heart and soul of the team get shipped out of town, but if the Todd Bertuzzi incident never happened, this would have probably been the worst trade in the history of the NHL.

Linden was never the same, and Bertuzzi went on to put up big numbers for the Canucks, including a 46 goals and 51 assists in 2002-03. Not to mention McCabe was flipped in order to get both the Sedins, who are now the centerpieces of a pretty good Vancouver team. 

4.  Boston Bruins trade Joe Thornton to the San Jose Sharks for Wayne Primeau, Marco Sturm and Brad Stuart

Reason: 

Well where to start, over his time with the Sharks Thornton has 307 GP and 372 PTS.

Not to mention he helped Jonathan Cheechoo to become one of the leagues most dangerous triggermen. Whereas, the stats for the other three read as Sturm 226 GP, 156 PTS, Primeau 195 GP, 50 PTS and Stuart 250 GP and 84 PTS. So not only has Thornton outscored them by 82 points two of the players acquired (Stuart and Primeau) were dealt to the Flames for Andrew Ference and Chuck Kobasew. This was done because Stuart was going to walk as a free agent at the end of the year. As well, Boston GM Peter Chiarelli was put in-between a rock and a hard place. Bruins fans did not want to have nothing to show for previous GM Mike O'Connell's buffoonery at the end of this year (as Sturm was a free agent) so had to grossly overpay for a 50 point per year player (3.5 million).

3. New York Islanders trade Roberto Luongo and Olli Jokinen for Mark Parrish and Oleg Kvasha

Reason: 

If you know anything about hockey I don't need to say anything.

2. New York Islander trade Bill Muckalt, Zdeno Chara and a 1st round pick (turned out to be Jason Spezza) to the Ottawa Senators for Alexei Yashin

Reason: 

Seriously this deal was highway robbery. In this deal Ottawa gave up a #1 center and got a better #1 center, a #1 defenseman and a 4th line plugger. Yashin would end up being a massive bust for the Islanders and would smile as he took over 7 million from them a season. Whereas, Spezza emerged as a quality goal scorer and play maker and Chara a top 5 defenseman.  Plus Chara and Spezza helped the Senators get into the playoff each year since 01-02 ending in 2006 when Chara was traded.

1. Edmonton Oilers trade Wayne Gretzky, Mike Krushelnyski and Marty McSorley to the Los Angeles Kings for Jimmy Carson, Martin Gelinas, a 1st round pick in 1989 (Jason Miller), 1st round pick in 1991 (Martin Rucinsky), a 1st round pick in 1993 (Nick Stajduhar) and about 15 million in cash.

Reason: 
Are you kidding me there is no way to justify this trade. Yes the Oilers win another cup but seriously. Gretzky goes on to play 539 games and scoring 918 points. Compare that to the entire group of Carson, Gelinas, Miller (traded to New Jersey for Corey Foster (0 GP 0 PTS by the way)), Rucinsky (Traded to Quebec for Ron Tugnutt and Brad Zavisha)

Player GP PTS

Carson 84 103 
Gelinas 258 120 
Miller 0 0 
Rucinsky 2 0 
Stajduhar 2 0

Totals 346 223

Roughly 193 games and 695 points shy. Point. Set. Match. Worst trade ever.

Random Youtube Video (Classy all the Way):