Ranger trades…from the unusual to just plain weird
By Steve Paulus
Most players in one trade
The trade that involved the most players in franchise history dates back to February 10, 2003. That’s when the Rangers and the Pittsburgh Penguins pulled off a massive, eight player deal
While the number was large, the impact was barely felt. The biggest name in the deal was Alexei Kovalev who returned to the Rangers four and a half years after they sent him to the Penguins in exchange for Petr Nedved.
The trade was of little consequence to the Rangers as Kovalev played 90 games for the Blueshirts, scoring 23 goals before being dispatched in the purge of March 2004.
The Rangers have made several trades involving seven players. The first was on June 4, 1963 when the Rangers acquired Jacques Plante, Don Marshall and Phil Goyette from Montreal for Dave Balon, Gump Worsley, Len Ronson and Leon Rochefort.
Another big 7 player deal was on February 22, 1964 when the Blueshirts sent Andy Bathgate and Don McKenney to Toronto for Bob Nevin, Rod Seiling, Arnie Brown, Bill Collins and Dick Duff. That deal payed an important part in the revival of the franchise of the late 1960s. Although they gave up a Ranger legend in Bathgate, they got a future captain in Nevin and important building blocks of the Stanley Cup contenders.
The last deal involving seven players was on June 30, 2009 and it is recognized as Glen Sather’s best deal as general manager. He was able to unload Scott Gomez and his $7.3 million annual salary in exchange for Chris Higgins and a NCAA blueliner named Ryan McDonagh. Who else was in that deal? Michael Busto and Tom Pyatt went to Montreal with Gomez and the Rangers got Pavel Valentenko and Doug Janik along with McDonagh and Higgins.
Most players and picks in a trade
While the most players exchanged in any one New York Rangers deal is eight, there were two other trades involving eight pieces.
The first was on October 24, 1986 with the Edmonton Oilers and it was a complicated deal that took two days and two separate transactions. On October 2, the Rangers announced that they had acquired Mike Golden and Don Jackson from Edmonton. Three weeks later, the teams concluded the deal, sending Clark Donatelli, Ville Kentala and Jim Wiemer along with the rights to Reijo Ruotsalainen in exchange for future considerations (turned out to be Stu Kulak) and the rights to defenseman Miroslav Horava, playing in Europe.
Ruotsalainen eventually signed with Edmonton and won two Stanley Cups. Horava did come over from Czechoslovakia and played 80 games over three seasons.
Ten years later the Rangers swapped eight pieces with the Los Angeles Kings. On March 14, 1996 they traded four players and a draft pick for three Los Angeles Kings in one of the worst deals in Blueshirts history.
In an effort to rekindle the magic of the Edmonton Oilers with Wayne Gretzky now a Ranger they traded for two over-the-hill players in Jari Kurri, and Marty McSorley and a physical forward in Shane Churla. What did they give up? Three centers in Ray Ferraro, Nathan Lafayette and Ian Laperriere and defenseman Mattias Norstrom. The fourth round draft pick turned into Sean Blanchard.
How one sided was it? Mattias Norstrom was the backbone of the Kings defense for nine seasons and played 11 years in the NHL. Ian Laperriere played 13 more seasons for three teams. Nathan Lafayette played three years. Ray Ferraro played six more years, topping the 20 goal mark twice.
The players the Rangers got? Kurri played 14 games, scoring one goal. McSorley was scoreless in nine games. Only Churla lasted more than the remainder of that one season, ultimately playing 55 games in New York with one assist.
The totals? The players the Rangers traded played 2,373 games in the NHL after the deal and scored 240 goals. The players the Rangers got? 78 games played. One goal. If you ever wonder why the Blueshirts missed the playoffs for seven straight seasons from 1998 to 2004, just look at this trade as a big reason.
The last time as many as seven elements changed hands in a deal was on April 3, 2013 when the Blueshirts sent Marian Gaborik and two prospects to Columbus for Derick Brassard, Derek Dorsett, John Moore and a draft pick.