The NHL is no stranger to blockbuster trades that shake up the league dynamic and alter a franchise’s future overnight. Over the course of the last two years, it’s been the San Jose Sharks who have been attempting to make waves. They have traded away superstars such as Timo Meier and Erik Karlsson, with the New Jersey Devils and the Pittsburgh Penguins respectively picking up their massive contracts.
In return, the Californian outfit has secured a plethora of draft picks with the aim of crafting a prosperous future. As of right now though, things haven’t yet worked out. They currently find themselves way down in seventh place in the Pacific Division after picking up just eleven wins in their first 32 games. To put that into perspective, only the Anaheim Ducks, Chicago Blackhawks and the Nashville Predators have won less.
Not that any sports bettors will be backing them, but unsurprisingly, the Sharks are now lowest ranked NHL team to secure a spot in the playoffs. In fact, the immensely popular Bodog Sportsbook in Canada currently prices them as long as +50000 to win the Stanley Cup this term. Those are the longest odds of any team offered by Bodog Sportsbook and by some distance—a million miles away from the current +800 favorite Edmonton Oilers.
While trades are a gamble, there have been moves so monumental in recent years that their effects were immediately felt—whether it was a sudden rise to contention or a painful rebuilding phase. While the Sharks firmly represent the latter, they have some way to go before they match some of these other trades.
Taylor Hall for Adam Larsson
When the Oilers traded former first-overall pick Taylor Hall to the Devils in exchange for defenseman Adam Larsson, the move was met with widespread criticism. The former has just secured his first All-Star selection and was one of the most dynamic forwards in the league, looking to lead his Canadian team into a prosperous future. Unfortunately for him, the Oilers were desperate to shore up their leaky defense and were centering their franchise around another number-one pick, a certain Connor McDavid.
The shift in fortunes was stark. Just two years on from the trade, Hall went on to win the Hart Trophy after leading the Devils to the playoffs almost single-handedly. For Edmonton, while Larsson provided defensive stability, he wouldn’t offer the immediate uptick that the side was looking for. They suffered two years without postseason hockey, while in the next two, they were dumped out in the very first round.
It was only in the last couple of years that the Alberta outfit has finally emerged as a contender once more. McDavid has a plethora of individual accolades to his name, but now he has a reliable Robin to his Batman in the form of Leon Draisaitl. Those two combined to devastating effect last season as the Oilers reached the Stanley Cup Finals where they lost to the Florida Panthers. This year, they are the favorites to go all the way.
Phil Kessel to the Toronto Maple Leafs
The 2009 trade of Phil Kessel from the Boston Bruins to the Toronto Maple Leafs changed both teams’ fortunes almost immediately. The second most successful team in NHL history acquired the hot dog eating champion in exchange for two first-round picks and a second-round pick in one of the biggest offers of all time. And while they were bagging themselves a prolific goal scorer, they miscalculated just how much – or little – of an impact his addition would have at Scotiabank Arena.
The team that was assembled around Kessel was an absolute disaster, and his new side failed to even reach the postseason in his first three campaigns north of the border. Over in Boston, meanwhile, the picks they received ultimately turned out to be Tyler Seguin, Dougie Hamilton, and Jared Knight, producing franchise-changing results almost overnight. The TD Garden side went on to win the Stanley Cup just two years on from the deal, while the Leafs are still in the midst of an almighty 58-year drought… as we can see from their situation with Mitch Marner, discussed in this video. What they’ll do next remains to be seen!
Patrick Roy to the Colorado Avalanche
The resounding impact that the decision to trade Patrick Roy away from the Montreal Canadiens in 1995 made was earth-shattering. After a public falling-out with coach Mario Tremblay during an infamous game where the netminder was left between the pipes to allow nine goals, he immediately demanded a trade. Just two years prior, the Quebec side had picked up a record-extending 24th championship, and it looked as though they were set to dominate the NHL landscape once more.
Unfortunately for them, the impact of trading away their superstar shot-stopper – as well as winger Mike Keane – was seismic. Roy’s arrival at the Colorado Avalanche immediately rejuvenated the franchise and turned them into legitimate championship contenders. They went on to lift the Stanley Cup in his first season in goal in Denver, before claiming another six years later. Habs fans are still waiting for another championship and have once again been dumped into a rebuilding phase.
Is this list a joke? I mean outside of the Roy trade I doubt the others qualify in the top 25. Off the top of my head, there’s the Gretzky trade to LA, the Lindros trade, Hodge and Esposito to the Bruins, Neely to the Bruins, Gilmour to the Leafs, sundin to the Leafs…