5 of the worst trades the Calgary Flames ever made
Aside from a Tyler Toffoli trade late last month, it has been a rather quiet offseason for the Calgary Flames, though that could soon change. With players like Elias Lindholm, Mikael Backlund, and Noah Hanifin all hesitant at best regarding signing extensions, there could be plenty more trades to be made soon.
For newly appointed general manager Craig Conroy, he will look to do what he can with these moves (assuming they happen) to ensure that the team stays competitive right now and that they will bode well for the organization’s future.
Unfortunately for the Flames, trading hasn’t always gone their way. Under past regimes, they have made some less-than-stellar moves that have hindered their success as a team. With that said, let’s look at the five worst trades in franchise history.
Jarome Iginla to the Pittsburgh Penguins (2013)
As the 2012-13 season progressed, it became clearer each and every day that the Flames would be forced to part ways with Jarome Iginla. While trading away the best player to lace them up for your franchise is difficult in itself, the very minimal return made this deal so much worse.
Coming back to the Flames in exchange for Iginla was Kenny Agostino, Ben Hanowski, and a 2013 first-round pick, which was used on Morgan Klimchuk. The three have played a combined 103 games at the NHL level, proving how poorly this move worked out for the Flames.
Brett Hull and Steve Bozek to the St. Louis Blues (1988)
Despite putting up 26 goals and 50 points in 52 games during his rookie season, the Flames traded Brett Hull and Steve Bozek to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for Rob Ramage and Rick Wamsley.
This trade can’t be viewed as a total failure, as the Flames were able to win their first and only Stanley Cup the very next season. That said, Hull went on to have a historic career which saw him score 741 goals. That ranks fifth all-time in NHL history, trailing only Jaromir Jagr, Gordie Howe, Alex Ovechkin, and Wayne Gretzky.
Marc Savard to the Atlanta Thrashers (2002)
The Flames recently hired Marc Savard as an assistant coach, which seems to have mended fences on what was a messy departure from the organization during his time as a player. After butting heads on numerous occasions with then-head coach Greg Gilbert, Savard was traded to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for Ruslan Zainullin.
If Zainullin’s name doesn’t ring any bells, that would be because he never played a single professional game in North America. Savard, meanwhile, turned into a superstar talent in Atlanta and may have been headed for a Hall of Fame career had it not been for a nasty concussion.
Doug Gilmore to the Toronto Maple Leafs (1992)
Despite his on-ice productivity, the Flames had little choice but to move Gilmour after he walked away from the team early into 1992 while requesting a trade. He ended up being a part of the largest trade in NHL history, going to the Toronto Maple Leafs along with Jamie Macoun, Ric Nattress, Kent Manderville, and Wamsley. Headed to the Flames were Gary Leeman, Craig Berube, Michel Petit, Alexander Godynyuk, and Jeff Reese.
This trade was viewed as an immediate loss for the Flames, who quickly went into a downward spiral while the Leafs drastically improved. Gilmour would play 11 more seasons in the NHL and finished his career with 1,414 points.
Jean-Sebastien Giguere to the Anaheim Ducks (2000)
After being acquired by the Flames in a trade with the Carolina Hurricanes in 1997, Jean Sebastien Giguere split the following three seasons between the NHL and AHL before being dealt to the Anaheim Ducks. Heading back to the Flames in the deal was a second-round draft pick which they used to select Matt Pettinger.
Giguere’s career blossomed with the Ducks. While he had several impressive seasons, he is most remembered for winning the Conn Smythe in a losing effort in 2003. He is the most recent player to have received that honour and one of just five in NHL history.
- You might also like:
- Flames should consider signing Calgary local Matt Dumba