New York Rangers: The ten worst trades in franchise history

#3- Mike Ridley ,Kelly Miller and Bob Crawford traded to the Washington Capitals for Bobby Carpenter and a 1989 Second Round Draft Pick

January 1, 1987

This is the third Phil Esposito-engineered trade that makes this list and it was a doozy. On New Years Day, 1987 he made a blockbuster trade with the Capitals, acquiring Bobby Carpenter in exchange for two young forwards.

An outstanding center, Bobby Carpenter was the first U.S. born hockey player to score 50 goals in a season and was a legitimate star. Unfortunately, when he donned the Rangers jersey he apparently lost his scoring touch with only two goals in 28 games.

To make matters worse, Esposito then traded Carpenter to the Kings for 35-year-old Marcel Dionne. Espo thought that the sensitive Carpenter couldn’t handle the pressure of playing in New York and he jumped at the chance to acquire future Hall of Famer Dionne.

Dionne was a genuine superstar who had scored 50 goals in a season six times. In his first season as a Ranger he did notch 31 goals, but faded after that and retired within two years.

After escaping the bright lights of Broadway, Carpenter played 12 more seasons in the NHL, mostly in the role of defensive specialist. He did score 25 goals in a season twice as a Boston Bruin and won a Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils in 1995.

Left winger Kelly Miller had been a ninth round pick by the Rangers who had shown a knack for scoring in his first two seasons. He played almost 13 more seasons as a Capital, mostly as a defensive specialist.

Center Mike Ridley had been a find for the Rangers, signed as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Manitoba. He scored 22 goals as a rookie and had 16 goals in 38 games when he was traded to Washington. He average 29 goals over the next seven and a half years as a Capital before finishing his career in Toronto and Vancouver.

So, the Rangers gave up Kelly Miller and Mike Ridley, two solid NHL forwards, for 28 games of Bobby Carpenter and two seasons of an aging Marcel Dionne. The trade for Carpenter alone would make the top 10 list, but include the panicked deal for Dionne and it makes it into the top three.