The 10 best trades in the history of the New York Rangers

There’s nothing better than a great trade and the New York Rangers have had their fair share. Here’s a list of the ten best trades ever made by the franchise.

In analyzing trades, deals don’t necessarily have to be one-sided. Outright steals are extremely rare in this league so results matter. A good trade can propel a team to tremendous heights just like a terrible trade could bury a franchise for years. The New York Rangers have experienced both of these in their 90+ year history.

One example of the former, the swapfest of March 1994, resulted in a Stanley Cup victory for the Blueshirts, but none of those deals will make the list due of the franchises’ best trades due to the long-term results– the team being set in a downward spiral that resulted in mediocrity for the better part of the next decade.

Being an Original Six team, the Rangers have been in the trading business for almost a hundred years and some of these trades may seem like ancient history, but deserve a place on this list.

#10  Left wing Nick Fotiu acquired from the Hartford Whalers for a 1981 5th round draft pick.

January 15, 1981

A list of the best trades by the franchise has to include this sentimental choice.

Staten Island native Nick Fotiu had already had one stint with the Rangers after signing with the team as a free agent in 1976. Rangers fans were heartbroken when he was claimed by Hartford in the 1979 expansion draft.

Although he reached a career high with 10 goals in his first season in Hartford, Fotiu bled Ranger blue. In the middle of his second season, Craig Patrick re-acquired him for a draft pick (who never played in the NHL).

Fotiu went on to play four more seasons with the Rangers before finishing his career with stops in Philadelphia, Calgary and Edmonton. In his eight seasons with the Rangers, he scored only 41 goals, but his 970 career penalty minutes ranks 6th on the Rangers all-time list.  He will forever hold the distinction of being the first NYC-born New York Ranger.

# 9 Center Pete Stemkowski acquired from Detroit for Larry Brown

October 31, 1970

Pete Stemkowski had been a solid NHLer for nine years when Emile Francis acquired him from Detroit for rookie defenseman Larry Brown. Coming off a career-high 25 goal season in 1969-70,  Stemkowski was an excellent faceoff man and was seen as a an important piece of the Stanley Cup puzzle.

Larry Brown was a highly regarded rookie defenseman, but his career in Detroit was short as he was dealt back to New York the next season. He played nine years in the NHL for four teams.

Stemkowski played seven years with the Rangers, topping the 20 goal mark three times. He was a clutch playoff performer with 36 points in 55 Ranger playoff games.

Stemkowski scored two of the most famous goals in Rangers history, both in the 1971 Stanley Cup Semifinals against Chicago.

The first was an overtime goal in game one.

Facing elimination in game six, he scored at 1:29 of the third overtime to force a seventh game (which the Rangers lost).

Stemkowski is one of three Rangers to score in the third overtime of a Stanley Cup playoff game (Marian Gaborik in 2002 and Bun Cook in 1926 are the others).

#8 Right wing Mike Gartner acquired from Minnesota for Ulf Dahlen and a 1990 4th round draft pick

March 6, 1990

Mike Gartner is one of the greatest goal scorers in NHL history. He holds NHL records for most consecutive 30-goal seasons (tied with Jaromir Jagr at 15) and the most 30-goal seasons (17). He is one of seven NHL players to score over 700 goals in a career. After starring for 10 seasons in Washington, he had been traded to the North Stars for Dino Ciccarelli.

In his second season in Minnesota, the Rangers dangled former first round pick Ulf Dahlen as trade bait. Dahlen had been the 7th overall pick in the 1985 draft and had scored 29 and 24 goals in his first two season in New York. The North Stars went with youth over stardom, swapping the 30-year old Gartner to New York for a 23-year old oozing potential. The Stars got a draft pick as well, but the player they selected with it never made it to the NHL.

This was a trade that worked out well for both teams.

Gartner went on to play almost five full seasons with the Rangers, averaging over 40 goals per season. He narrowly missed becoming the second Ranger to score 50 goals when he finished with 49 goals in 1991. Dahlen had an excellent NHL career, scoring 301 goals in 966 games over 14 seasons.

As great a player as he was, Gartner never made a post-season all-star team or won an award.  He also never won a Stanley Cup or played in a Final. Even more frustrating for him was that he lost out on his greatest chance to win a Cup when he was traded to Toronto for Glenn Anderson in March 1994.

Saddled with the reputation of not being a playoff “winner,” the Rangers traded a man who was one of the team’s greatest goal scorers for Anderson who played all of 12 regular season and 23 playoff games for the Rangers, scoring seven goals and five assists. To this day, Anderson gets a standing ovation when he returns to MSG while Gartner’s achievements are overlooked.

#7 Center Mike Rogers acquired from Hartford along with a 1982 tenth round draft pick for Chris Kotsopoulos, Gerry McDonald and Doug Sulliman.

October 2, 1981

Mike who?

Mike Rogers was a solid offensive player who epitomized the speedy “Smurfs” of the Herb Brooks era. He had a long career in the WHA before blossoming into a big goal scorer for Hartford. He was so highly regarded that Craig Patrick traded three players for Rogers at the start of the 1981-82 season.

This wasn’t a one-sided deal as both defenseman Kotsopolous and former first round right wing Sulliman went on to have solid NHL careers. Chris Kotsopolous played six years as a regular on D for Hartford and Toronto. Sulliman had three pretty good seasons with the New Jersey Devils

Until Mike Rogers came along, the Rangers had only had two 100 point scorers in their history.  Jean Ratelle and Vic Hadfield had topped that mark in 1971-72 as members of the famed “G.A.G. Line.”

In 1981-82, the diminutive Rogers (he was only 5’9″) scored 103 points on 40 goals and 65 assists. Those 65 assists were a team record until it was shattered by Brian Leetch with 72 in 1991.

While he never achieved those heights in his last three years in New York, Rogers was a top scorer for the team.  As a post-script, he was dealt to Edmonton in 1985 for Larry Melnyk who played three seasons as a regular defenseman in New York, while Rogers played only eight games for the Oilers.

#6  Bob Nevin, Rod Seiling, Arnie Brown, Dick Duff and Bill Collins acquired from Toronto for Andy Bathgate and Don McKenney.

February 22, 1964

Andy Bathgate was one of the greatest Rangers ever.  Between 1958 and 1963 the right winger won the Hart Trophy and was a first or second team All-Star four times. Clearly the Rangers best player, he was the centerpiece of a massive trade that changed the face of the New York Rangers for years to come.

Midway through the 1964 season, Bathgate was having an off-season with only 16 goals in 56 games.  Rangers GM Muzz Patrick had overseen the development of young stars like Jean Ratelle, Vic Hadfield and Rod Gilbert and pulled the trigger on this blockbuster. The big acquisition here was right wing Bob Nevin, but just as important were Arnie Brown and Rod Seiling, both of which were stalwarts as a defensive tandem for years to come.

Bathgate played five more NHL seasons, only topping the 20 goal mark once, but he did win his only Stanley Cup with Toronto in 1964. Center Don McKenney was a semi-regular for three more NHL seasons.

For New York, Bob Nevin played seven full seasons as a Ranger, averaging 23 goals per year and was the team captain from 1965-71. Arnie Brown played seven seasons as a regular on defense for New York. Rod Seiling spent ten years on the blueline for New York, mostly partnered with Jim “The Chief” Neilson.

This trade was significant for the Rangers, as Patrick traded an aging superstar for three players who were key contributors to the great Ranger teams of the late 60’s and early 70’s.

#5 Doug Harvey acquired from Montreal for Lou Fontinato.

June 13, 1961

This trade has to be classified as a steal.

“Leapin’ Lou” Fontinato was a fan favorite and one of the toughest players in the NHL. As a Ranger, he set an NHL record with 206 penalty minutes in 1955-56 and led the league in that category three times. His 1959 fight with Gordie Howe is legendary and it left him with a broken nose and dislocated jaw. All of that tough play took its toll and when Montreal made Doug Harvey available, the Rangers jumped at the chance to make the trade.

Doug Harvey is acknowledged to be one of the greatest defensemen to play the game. In 14 years with Montreal he won six Norris Trophies and was a first team All-Star nine out of 10 years.

An outspoken critic of the lack of players’ rights, he ran afoul of Montreal management when he was one of the organizers of the first players association. To teach him a lesson, the six-time Stanley Cup champion was dealt to the Rangers, one of the worst teams in the league.

The 37 year old Harvey responded by playing three seasons in New York, winning the Norris Trophy in 1962 and making the First All-Star team. He also led the Rangers into the playoffs for the first time in four years.

He is one of three Rangers to win the Norris Trophy. It’s hard to believe, but after his Ranger career ended, this great hockey player hung on for five more years, bouncing from one minor league team to another before retiring in 1969.

Lou Fontinato played only two seasons after the trade, forced into early retirement when he ran into the boards avoiding a check from Vic Hadfield and was temporarily paralyzed.

#4 Goaltender Dave Kerr acquired from the Montreal Maroons for cash.

December 14, 1934

Dave Kerr was a goalie who accomplished something that Eddie Giacomin, John Davidson and Henrik Lundqvist have not accomplished. He led the Rangers to a Stanley Cup championship with one of the greatest seasons for a netminder in NHL history. In 1940 he played all 48 games finishing 27-11-10 with a 1.54 GAA and eight shutouts. He won eight more games in the playoffs with three shutouts.

This was a great “trade” because they didn’t have to give up a player to get him, sending just cash to the Montreal Maroons in exchange. As a result, they got one of the best goalies to ever play on Broadway.

He spent seven years in New York, winning the Vezina Trophy in 1940 and making the All-Star team twice.  He played every single regular season game for five straight seasons and was the first hockey player to grace the cover of Time Magazine (in 1938). In 1940 he backstopped the Rangers to a then NHL record 19 game unbeaten streak.

How were the Rangers able to get Dave Kerr for just cash?

The Montreal Maroons were struggling financially after the  Depression and by the mid-thirties were on the verge of suspending operations. Unloading Kerr to the Rangers for much needed cash was a no brainer for the Maroons and a gift to New York.

#3 Jaromir Jagr acquired from Washington for Anson Carter.

January 23, 2004

Glen Sather had a hand in the top three New York Rangers trades. In 2004, when the Rangers were in danger of missing the playoffs for the seventh straight season, Sather dealt versatile forward Anson Carter to the Washington Capitals for Jaromir Jagr. Getting Jagr was the catalyst for the team’s return to the playoffs after the lockout of 2004-05.

Jagr had been a Ranger target for years and they were thought to be the front runners when he forced a trade from the Penguins in 2001. It was quite a blow to Ranger fans when he was traded to the Capitals for three highly regarded prospects (they all were NHL busts).

The Rangers finally got their man when the cash-strapped Capitals decided that they couldn’t afford his $11 million contract and were content to get Carter in exchange. To make this trade even better for New York, the Capitals agreed to pick up almost half of Jagr’s salary for the remainder of his seven year contract.

After the lockout, Jagr led the “Czech-mates” to three straight years of thrilling hockey. Although they were swept by the Devils the first season, it was largely because of a dislocated shoulder that Jagr suffered in the first game.  They did make the playoffs in all three seasons Jagr was a Ranger, getting to the Conference Semi-Finals the last two years.

In his first season, Jagr  had the greatest offensive season Ranger history, setting records for goals (54), points (123), power play goals (24) and shots on goal (368). He missed winning his sixth Art Ross Trophy as leading scorer by only two points. He was a first team All Star and won the Lester Pearson Awards as the outstanding player of the year (as voted by his fellow NHL players).  He also succeeded Mark Messier as team captain for his last two seasons.

Anson Carter appeared in only 19 games for Capitals before being traded the same season to the Kings. After the lockout he played two more seasons in Vancouver, Columbus and Carolina before retiring. .

In 2008, at age 36 and an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career, the Rangers let him escape. Although he had led the team in scoring in the regular season and playoffs, Glen Sather made no attempt to re-sign him and he ended up inking a two year deal with Avangard Omsk of the KHL.

While no one could have known he would continue to play until he was 45 years old, Ranger fans can only speculate about what could have been if the team had tried to keep one of the most dynamic players in the NHL in a Ranger uniform.

#2 Ryan McDonagh, Chris Higgins and Pavel Valentenko acquired from Montreal for Scott Gomez, Tom Pyatt and Michael Busto

June 30, 2009

There should have been “Wanted Posters” with Glen Sather’s picture on it in every post office after this deal.  Not only did Sather get an all-star defenseman in Ryan McDonagh, he also got rid of the onerous contract he had given to Scott Gomez two years earlier. This deal shaped the Rangers as a perennial playoff team and got them to the Stanley Cup FInals in 2014.

McDonagh had been Montreal’s first round pick (12th overall) in the 2007 Entry Draft. After two seasons at the University of Wisconsin the Canadiens inexplicably thought he wasn’t living up to his potential and were willing to include him in this deal. At the time, the deal was seen as a salary dump by New York and Chris Higgins was the key acquisition by the Rangers. Look at the description from NHL.com at the time:

“The Rangers sent Scott Gomez and his hefty contract that still has five years and more than $30 million left on it to Montreal in exchange for Long Island, N.Y. native Chris Higgins, who is a restricted free agent, but is likely to sign with the Rangers. Montreal also sent the Rangers 2007 first-round draft pick Ryan McDonagh and Pavel Valentenko to New York while the Rangers gave up Tom Pyatt and Mike Busto”

Scott Gomez played three seasons for Montreal, never topping 12 goals. Tom Pyatt was a marginal NHLer and Busto never made it to the big leagues.

Valentenko also never made an NHL roster.

Chris Higgins was a useful forward for seven more years in the league, but was only a Ranger for a few months. He was dealt to the Rangers to Calgary in exchange for Brandon Prust.

As for McDonagh, there’s no need to go into detail about his exploits as the Rangers’ top defenseman. He spent eight years in New York and was an All-Star and team captain.

Although he never achieved his ultimate goal as a Ranger, this trade has to go down as one of the most one-sided deals in the team’s history. A fascinating post script will be written if Libor Hajek, Brett Howden, Vlad Namestnikov, Nils Lundkvist or the 2019 first rounder acquired from Tampa this spring develop into top NHL players.

#1 Mark Messier acquired from Edmonton with future considerations (Jeff Beukeboom for David Shaw) for Bernie Nicholls, Steven Rice and Louie DeBrusk.

October 4, 1991

Rangers fans can thank Glen Sather for his role in the greatest Ranger trade ever.

As Edmonton Oilers general manager, he pulled the trigger on the deal that sent Mark Messier to New York and the 1994 Stanley Cup Championship to Madison Square Garden. Sather was really forced into making the deal as Messier, unhappy with his $1.2 million salary, had not reported to training camp, holding out and demanding a trade..

In Messier, the Rangers got one of the greatest leaders in NHL history.

Immediately named team captain, Messier transformed the team from an also-ran to a team that was the league’s best, winning the President’s Trophy in 1992 and 1994. His hat trick in game six of the 1994 Stanley Cup Conference Finals against the New Jersey Devils alone qualifies him as a Ranger immortal.

Messier ended up playing 10 seasons as a Ranger, although amid some drama, he signed with Vancouver for three years in the middle of his two stints in New York. In his first season in New York, he scored 107 points and was a first team All-Star.  He was also named the best player int he league, winning both the Hart and Pearson Trophies.

A month after the Messier blockbuster, Jeff Beukeboom came to the Rangers to complete the deal. Beukeboom was to spend eight seasons as Brian Leetch’s defense partner before his career was ended by concussions. Taking alone, Beukeboom for David Shaw could be a contender for top ten status.

The Rangers did give Edmonton some value in this trade.

Center Bernie Nicholls was a top goal scorer who had notched 70 goals and 150 points in 1989 as a Los Angeles King. When acquired by the Rangers in 1990 for Tomas Sandstrom and Tony Granato, “Broadway Bernie” was seen as a savior and offensive powerhouse. He did score 37 goals in 104 games as a Ranger.

While Nicholls never achieved that kind of offensive success again, he played eight more seasons in the NHL including 1993-94 with the New Jersey Devils. He became a villain to Ranger fans when he was suspended for one game in the Conference Finals for cross-checking Alexei Kovalev and then shooting the puck into his face.

Steven Rice and Louie DeBrusk were two top Ranger prospects and David Shaw was a solid veteran defenseman. All three went on to have decent NHL careers though Rice never lived up to his potential and DeBrusk spent 11 years in the NHL mostly an enforcer for four different teams. He is also the father of Bruins forward Jake DeBrusk.

This trade would rank as one of the best in the team’s history simply because the the 18 years that Messier and Beukeboom played in New York, but rises to number one because the trade was the biggest reason the Rangers ended a 54 year drought and finally hoisted the Stanley Cup.