32 replies to this topic

[grcenter47]

I was wondering what everyone thought was the most influential trade done by the New Jersey Devils and your reasons why. I was able to come up with 11 off the top of my head which I think influenced the Devils. There might be others but at the moment I can't think of anymore.

Edited by grcenter47, 04 November 2010 - 10:57 PM.

[devilsrule33]

You are forgetting perhaps the biggest.

The Flames also traded up in the first round, dealing their pick, No. 20 over all, and a pair of second-rounders, Nos. 24 and 29, for New Jersey's first-rounder, 11th over all, and the Devils' No. 2 pick, No. 32. The Flames used the higher pick to take Trevor Kidd from Brandon of the Western Hockey League, the highest-rated goaltender in the draft.

http://query.nytimes...755C0A966958260

I think we all know who the Devils drafted at 20.

Edited by devilsrule33, 04 November 2010 - 11:42 PM.

[Devilsfan118]

You are forgetting perhaps the biggest.



http://query.nytimes...755C0A966958260

I think we all know who the Devils drafted at 20.

This.

But personally, acquiring nieds was pretty huge for this organization.

I hope 10 years from now, we look back and say "damn I'm glad we got kovalchuk", but we'll have to just wait and see.

Edited by Devilsfan118, 05 November 2010 - 12:04 AM.

[maxpower]

Brodeur, Kovalchuk, Niedermayer in that order. historically, the Kovalchuk trade will be the biggest one when it's done. it'll shape the franchise for at least 10 years, either positively, negatively, or meh. yeah, that's a captain obvious statement. but, it could end up being his and his alone, because of the nature of the league. Nieds was an indentured servant until 2005. none of these guys around now will be.

Brodeur's is kinda lost in the shuffle historically, and who knows, maybe they would have picked him at 11 anyway.

but anyways, that signing (which 99.9% wouldn't have happened if not for the trade), put the trade through the roof. no signing, and it's just a curiosity, like Gretzky with the Blues, where someone sees something 20 years later and says "that guy played for them? really?"

Edited by maxpower, 05 November 2010 - 03:13 AM.

[Neb00rs]

Brodeur, Kovalchuk, Niedermayer in that order.

Yea, that.

[MantaRay]

I had assumed that influential meant in a good way, since there are so many.

To me getting Holik was a start, but getting Pepe changed the attitude here. The guy hated to lose and it rubbed off on the franchise.

I miss that franchise.

[Eltab213]

Since ive been following the Devils (1999) My favorite trade was the Langs and Nieuwendyk trade. Both of whom were two of my favotire players outside the Devils.

I remember Luo saying the trade was to help with face-offs (Niuwendyk was one of the best, if not the best ever at face-offs) I loved watching him take draws, and i think the face-off is the most underrated play in hockey among fans. Anyway, Although Nieuwy was hurt for part of the 03 playoffs, Langs was clutch and I dont think the Devils win the cup in 03 without that trade.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Pretty solid list...I wouldn't have put the Stastny deal up there, simply because he was clearly past his prime when he got here...if you look his Devil numbers, they're not bad by today's standards, but for the era he played in they were clearly nothing special.

I'd have to say Lemieux, because the guy simply hated to lose and gave it his all and clearly was an influence, and was acquired for a guy in Turgeon who couldn't have been more of Claude's polar opposite...an all-time overachiever for an all-time underachiever.

Another deal that be worth adding to that list might is the acquisiton of Doug Gilmour and Dave Ellett for Alyn McCauley, Jason Smith, and Steve Sullivan...Sullivan did go on to have a pretty nice post-Devils career, and Smith played a lot of seasons as well.

Edited by Colorado Rockies 1976, 05 November 2010 - 06:30 AM.

[DaneykoIsGod]

Another deal that be worth adding to that list might is the acquisiton of Doug Gilmour and Dave Ellett for Alyn McCauley, Jason Smith, and Steve Sullivan...Sullivan did go on to have a pretty nice post-Devils career, and Smith played a lot of seasons as well.

Good call. I may be alone in thinking this, but I felt as though the acquisition of Gilmour had a huge positive effect on Niedermayer. Killer did a good amount of work on the half boards and point on our power plays during that time, and that's around the same time that Nieds really turned into the elite puck-distributing point man we all remember him as.

Another reason Gilmour's time here was influential was that, at the time, Lou negotiated new contracts before the old ones expired. Stevens, Brodeur and Gilmour were all courting offers from Lou mid-season, but Johnny Mac wasn't. That was part of what drove MacLean to want out, and presumably a part of why Lou no longer talks contracts until old ones expire.

[sundstrom]

you have to say either marty or neidermayer - both shaped the team for 15 and 10 years respectively and brought 3 cups.

[lucifer91]

what about the scott stevens one? ...or is that not technically a trade

Edited by lucifer91, 05 November 2010 - 08:25 AM.

[imissricher]

what about the scott stevens one?

i was thinking the same thing - how is scott stevens not an option in this poll?

[imissricher]

i was thinking the same thing - how is scott stevens not an option in this poll?

i'm an idiot - it's friday and my mind is on tonight. arbitration really isn't a "trade", although it felt like it. shanny for stevens.

[NewarkDevil5]

Because Stevens wasn't brought in via trade.

[Jimmy Leeds]

i was thinking the same thing - how is scott stevens not an option in this poll?

Stevens wasn't traded for......he was awarded as compensation for the Blews signing Shanahan

[Jimmy Leeds]

Patrik Sundstrom for Kirk McLean and Greg Adams was huge at the time.

God I wish Sundstrom hadn't had those bad knees.

[lucifer91]

i'm an idiot - it's friday and my mind is on tonight. arbitration really isn't a "trade", although it felt like it. shanny for stevens.

Yeah, I was thinkin the same thing, stevens for shanny, but then i remembered it was "compensation".

[MantaRay]

Patrik Sundstrom for Kirk McLean and Greg Adams was huge at the time.

God I wish Sundstrom hadn't had those bad knees.

That is actually a very vital trade for the franchise as it seemed Sundstrom was really the first acquired Devil to actually positively impact the franchise. AFter his acquisition the team slowly morphed from Mickey Mouse to learning how to win.

Good call Leeds.

I'd have to say Lemieux, because the guy simply hated to lose and gave it his all and clearly was an influence, and was acquired for a guy in Turgeon who couldn't have been more of Claude's polar opposite...an all-time overachiever for an all-time underachiever.

OUI Claude!!!

[Jerrydevil]

There's some good stuff there, but I think the Lemieux trade was a huge turning point for this franchise, in addition to getting Scott Stevens.

Edited by Jerrydevil, 05 November 2010 - 08:55 AM.

[squishyx]

Idk if Marty should really count, we really didn't trade for him. I like to think that the Devils would have taken him anyway at #11 if they didn't make the move with the Flames, and he obviously would have been available.