10 Traded picks that turned into NHL superstars
Feb 16, 2017 12:40:25 GMT -5
Post by Willie Dog on Feb 16, 2017 12:40:25 GMT -5
Although this article lists 2 items regarding the Habs it shows how trading and drafting can change everything.. I thought the comments about Pollock were pretty cool.
10 Trades...
Item 1:
1. THE TRADE: On Nov. 4, 1983, the Winnipeg Jets acquire defenceman Robert Picard from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for a third round pick at the 1984 draft
The rationale: The Jets were trying to build a roster that could do something other than lose in the first round of the playoffs every year, and needed some depth on the blueline. Picard was a solid-enough player, and a third-round pick seemed like a fair price.
But the pick turned into: On draft day, the Canadiens traded up to get picks in the first and second round, which they used on Shane Corson and Stephane Richer. But the deal cost them multiple picks as well as Rick Wamsley, so they needed to replenish their goaltending depth.
They used the Jets' third-round pick to do it, grabbing a skinny kid from the QMJHL named Patrick Roy.
I did not know about almost getting Potvin.
Item 10:
10 Trades...
Item 1:
1. THE TRADE: On Nov. 4, 1983, the Winnipeg Jets acquire defenceman Robert Picard from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for a third round pick at the 1984 draft
The rationale: The Jets were trying to build a roster that could do something other than lose in the first round of the playoffs every year, and needed some depth on the blueline. Picard was a solid-enough player, and a third-round pick seemed like a fair price.
But the pick turned into: On draft day, the Canadiens traded up to get picks in the first and second round, which they used on Shane Corson and Stephane Richer. But the deal cost them multiple picks as well as Rick Wamsley, so they needed to replenish their goaltending depth.
They used the Jets' third-round pick to do it, grabbing a skinny kid from the QMJHL named Patrick Roy.
I did not know about almost getting Potvin.
Item 10:
10. THE TRADE: Pretty much every move Montreal Canadiens GM Sam Pollock made in the late-’60s and early-’70s
Remember how hockey pools in the mid-’80s would make Wayne Gretzky ineligible, because he was just so dominant? For the same reason, we're grouping all of Pollock's into one entry. There's really no other choice. The man was just too smart and too far ahead of his time, and he used the future-pick-accumulation strategy on so many of his fellow GMs that most of this list could just be Canadiens picks from the Pollock era.
The rationale: None. Never trade with Sam Pollock. Seriously, 1970s GMs, how many times did you have to watch one of your colleague get robbed blind before you realized this guy was playing 3D chess and the rest of you were shoving checker pieces up your nose?
But the picks turned out into: Guy Lafleur, Guy Carbonneau, Steve Shutt, (takes deep breath), Bob Gainey, Mario Tremblay (another breath) and Larry Robinson. All of those Habs legends were drafted with picks that Pollock acquired in exchange for names like Ernie Hicke, Gerry Desjardins and Bob Murdoch.
In some cases, the future pick came as many as four years out from the original deal. When it came to taking his fellow GMs to the cleaners, Pollock was willing to be patient.
And it was almost even worse for the NHL — in a 1972 trade, Pollock fleeced the Golden Seals for their first-round pick in the following year's draft. As expected, the Seals were terrible. But the expansion Islanders were slightly worse, so Pollock just missed out on the first-overall pick. If you think the 1970s Habs dynasty was good, imagine them with Denis Potvin. It nearly happened.
The epilogue: Four straight Stanley Cups from 1976–79, and a gold standard for NHL GMs that's yet to be matched.
Remember how hockey pools in the mid-’80s would make Wayne Gretzky ineligible, because he was just so dominant? For the same reason, we're grouping all of Pollock's into one entry. There's really no other choice. The man was just too smart and too far ahead of his time, and he used the future-pick-accumulation strategy on so many of his fellow GMs that most of this list could just be Canadiens picks from the Pollock era.
The rationale: None. Never trade with Sam Pollock. Seriously, 1970s GMs, how many times did you have to watch one of your colleague get robbed blind before you realized this guy was playing 3D chess and the rest of you were shoving checker pieces up your nose?
But the picks turned out into: Guy Lafleur, Guy Carbonneau, Steve Shutt, (takes deep breath), Bob Gainey, Mario Tremblay (another breath) and Larry Robinson. All of those Habs legends were drafted with picks that Pollock acquired in exchange for names like Ernie Hicke, Gerry Desjardins and Bob Murdoch.
In some cases, the future pick came as many as four years out from the original deal. When it came to taking his fellow GMs to the cleaners, Pollock was willing to be patient.
And it was almost even worse for the NHL — in a 1972 trade, Pollock fleeced the Golden Seals for their first-round pick in the following year's draft. As expected, the Seals were terrible. But the expansion Islanders were slightly worse, so Pollock just missed out on the first-overall pick. If you think the 1970s Habs dynasty was good, imagine them with Denis Potvin. It nearly happened.
The epilogue: Four straight Stanley Cups from 1976–79, and a gold standard for NHL GMs that's yet to be matched.
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