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Worst Trades in Red Wings History

As the Detroit Red Wings proceed to rebuild, ideas of missed alternatives, unnecessarily lengthy contracts, and poor trades usually come to thoughts. And with former basic supervisor Ken Holland main the cost, many had an uneasy feeling in regards to the future.

If you had been involved about Holland’s capability to execute the franchise-improving swaps, don’t fret. There have been some ugly trades in Red Wings historical past and Holland was solely liable for certainly one of them. Let’s check out the worst trades of the previous 90 years and hope as we speak’s Red Wings don’t be part of the record.

Original Six Era

Back in the NHL’s early days, Jack Adams oversaw roster administration choices for the Red Wings. Known as “Trader Jack”, Adams accomplished many trades throughout his 35-year tenure as Hockeytown’s basic supervisor. With that being stated, not all trades labored out in his favor. Some had been downright horrifying.

Jack Adams Deals Terry Sawchuk to Boston

Detroit Red Wings
Acquired:
Gilles Boisvert
Real Chevrefils
Norm Corcoran
Warren Godfrey
Ed Sanford

Acquired:
Marcel Bonin
Lorne Davis
Terry Sawchuk
Vic Stasiuk
Boston Bruins

After the Red Wings captured the 1955 Stanley Cup—their fourth in six seasons—Adams needed to reload for an additional Cup run. In doing so, he traded Terry Sawchuk—one of the best goalie in the NHL on the time—to Boston for a group of younger gamers. However, not one of the acquired gamers actually made an affect with the Red Wings.

Worst Trades in Detroit Red Wings History

Goaltender Gilles Boisvert bounced across the minor leagues earlier than showing in three video games in the course of the 1959-60 season. Real Chevrefils scored 40 factors with Boston the prior yr, however began out gradual with the Red Wings and was traded again to the Bruins after 46 video games. Norm Corcoran and Ed Sanford had been dealt lower than three months after they arrived in Detroit as properly.


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Warren Godfrey was the one acquired participant to remain in Hockeytown for an prolonged time period – he performed the subsequent seven seasons in Detroit, notching 95 factors throughout that span. Essentially buying and selling an all-world goalie in Sawchuk for a stay-at-home defenseman was not the deal Adams thought he had.

Red Wings Bring Back Sawchuk

Detroit Red Wings
Acquired:
Terry Sawchuk

Acquired:
Johnny Bucyk
Cash
Boston Bruins

Realizing his error, Adams reacquired Sawchuk two years later. The price, although, was substantial.

To deliver Sawchuk again to Hockeytown, Detroit’s GM needed to deal up-and-coming ahead Johnny Bucyk to Boston. Bucyk had scored 10 objectives in restricted minutes the prior season and had promise, however Adams actually needed Sawchuk again. He acquired his want, and in alternate, the Bruins obtained a 500-goal scorer to guide their group for the subsequent 21 seasons. Bucyk helped the Bruins seize two Stanley Cups and attain the Final 4 different instances.

Sawchuk was strong in Detroit, however by no means regained the shape he displayed throughout his first tenure with the Red Wings.

Detroit Ships Out Ted Lindsay & Glenn Hall

After Adams caught wind of Ted Lindsay’s attempt to unionize the Red Wings, Detroit’s GM traded the All-Star and goaltender Glenn Hall to the Blackhawks—one other staff owned by the Norris household—in a blockbuster deal.

Related: Phantom Sniper Fires Up Red Wings’ ‘Terrible Ted’

Former Red Wing Johnny Wilson was a welcomed addition, as was younger heart Forbes Kennedy. Both had strong 1957-58 seasons with Detroit, however neither contributed a lot after that yr. Bill Preston by no means performed for the Red Wings after he was acquired, and, with Sawchuk again in the fold, Hank Bassen actually wasn’t wanted in Detroit. He finally joined the Red Wings in the course of the 1960-61 marketing campaign and served because the backup/third-string goalie over the subsequent six seasons.

With Adams trying to transfer Lindsay instantly, it’s no shock the return was lower than optimum. But buying and selling the staff captain and eventual Hall-of-Fame goalie Glenn Hall for minimal returns definitely contributed to the downfall of the group.

Red Kelly’s Headline Ends Red Wings Career

Detroit Red Wings
Acquired:
Marc Reaume

Acquired:
Red Kelly
Toronto Maple Leafs

This commerce has a sophisticated however entertaining backstory.

According to long-time Red Wings beat author Bob Duff in his e-book, “100 Things Red Wings Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die”, All-Star defenseman Red Kelly was interviewed by the Toronto Globe and Mail about his resurgent 1959-60 marketing campaign, which adopted a less-than-optimal 1958-59 season. Kelly revealed that he had damaged his ankle in the course of the ’58-59 marketing campaign and tried to play on it after Adams had requested him to offer it a shot.

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When the Detroit Free Press ran their model of the story, their headline made Adams right into a ruthless tyrant: “Was Red Kelly Forced to Play with a Broken Foot?” Not surprisingly, Adams didn’t like this accusation one bit and instantly seemed to maneuver Kelly. Though Kelly by no means really accused Adams of something, the misinterpreted headline did the injury.

Former Detroit Red Wings defenseman Red Kelly.
Red Kelly with goaltender Johnny Bower in Toronto. (THW Archives)

Adams tried to commerce Kelly to New York, however the defenseman opted to retire slightly than report back to the Rangers. The NHL nullified the deal and, finally, Adams was in a position to ship Kelly to Toronto for Marc Reaume. Kelly reported and performed seven seasons with the Maple Leafs, profitable 4 Stanley Cups throughout that point – together with two over the Red Wings. Reaume would solely play 47 video games for Detroit.

Duff added, “The Reaume-for-Kelly swap has to make the list of worst trades in Red Wings history.”

‘Dead Wings’ Era

After Gordie Howe and Alex Delvecchio retired, the Red Wings entered a brand new period: the “Dead Wings” interval. Though the staff struggled considerably, they solely had a number of actually unhealthy transactions.

Marcel Dionne Sent Out West

Detroit Red Wings
Acquired:
Terry Harper
Dan Maloney
1976 2nd spherical choose

Acquired:
Bart Crashley
Marcel Dionne
Los Angeles Kings

Back in 1971, the Red Wings took heart Marcel Dionne second general in the NHL Amateur Draft after Montreal drafted Guy Lafleur with the primary choose. Dionne joined the Red Wings and immediately turned a point-per-game participant, topping out at 121 factors in the course of the 1974-75 season.

Marcel Dionne
TORONTO, CANADA – NOVEMBER 14: Marcel Dionne #16 of the Los Angeles Kings skates up ice towards the Toronto Maple Leafs in recreation motion November 14, 1984 at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Ontario Canada. (Photo by Graig Abel Collection/Getty Images)

What did Detroit do with their budding famous person that summer time? They traded him after Dionne had grown frustrated with losing. In alternate, the Red Wings obtained veteran defenseman Terry Harper, energy ahead Dan Maloney, and a second-round draft choose. Both Harper and Maloney had first rate first seasons in Detroit however clearly didn’t evaluate to what Dionne would turn into. You must surprise what GM Alex Delvecchio was pondering when he pulled the set off on this commerce.

Red Wings’ Baffling Adam Oates Trade

Detroit Red Wings
Acquired:
Bernie Federko
Tony McKegney

Acquired:
Adam Oates
Paul MacLean
St. Louis Blues

The summer time earlier than Detroit’s final missed postseason, the staff determined to maneuver playmaking heart Adam Oates to the St. Louis Blues together with winger Paul MacLean. The two had mixed for 149 factors the prior season, however the Red Wings needed to make a change.

Adam Oates
Adam Oates whereas with the Boston Bruins (Photo by Denis Brodeur/NHLI through Getty Images)

In return, Detroit acquired Bernie Federko and Tony McKegney – two veterans whose finest days had been behind them. Making issues worse, McKegney was traded once more shortly after the season began and Federko solely performed one yr in Detroit earlier than retiring.

After becoming a member of the Blues, Oates teamed up with Brett Hull to type one of the vital prolific duos of the early ’90s. Over the subsequent 5 seasons (with St. Louis and Boston), his worst yr got here when he solely scored 99 factors in the course of the 1991-92 marketing campaign. When he retired in 2004, Oates had amassed 1,420 factors, together with over 1,000 assists.

Playoff Streak Era

Because of good trades and wonderful drafting, the Red Wings had been in a position to attain the postseason yearly for 25 consecutive seasons. There had been a number of unhealthy swaps, however just one actually ugly transfer.

Kyle Quincey’s Return to Hockeytown

Detroit Red Wings
Acquired:
Kyle Quincey

Acquired:
Sebastian Piche
2012 first-round choose
Tampa Bay Lightning

By the time the 2011-12 season rolled round, the Red Wings had been on the decline. Nicklas Lidstrom and Tomas Holmstrom had been displaying their age, Brian Rafalski had retired the earlier summer time, and—to make issues worse—a piece stoppage was possible coming.

Related: Best & Worst Red Wings Trade Deadline Deals

Holland needed to bolster his roster on the deadline to assist in giving the Red Wings an actual shot in the playoffs. Unfortunately, it was a sellers’ market and Detroit had to surrender a first-round choose for Kyle Quincey, who had solely 23 factors in 54 video games with Colorado to that time. Quincey didn’t ship a lot for the Red Wings and the staff was bounced in the primary spherical of the playoffs by Nashville.

Former Detroit Red Wings defenseman Kyle Quincey.
Kyle Quincey (Andy Martin, Jr.)

Over the subsequent 4 seasons, Quincey underwhelmed in Hockeytown. Tampa Bay, however, used that first-round choose to pick goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy. With Ben Bishop now out of the image, Vasilevskiy is the Lightning’s new franchise goalie.


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