mslepp

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Okotoks, AB • Canada • 27 Years Old • Male

Flames/Leafs Trade Thread: The Gilmour Deal

I love looking back to see what kind of ramifications past trades hold on the present-time NHL. For example, in 1990 the Flames and Devils swapped a number of picks that gave the Flames the 11th pick (Trevor Kidd) and the Devils the 20th pick... which just happened to be Martin Brodeur. Bruins blogger Jesse Connolly wrote about the Cam Neely/Barry Pederson trade that, after following the thread, sees Milan Lucic in a Bruin uniform.

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=15071

And of course, Dan Tolensky's trade tree that follows the infamous Gretzky deal. Probably my favorite blog on HockeyBuzz to date

Which brings me to the 10-man deal between the Calgary Flames and Toronto Maple Leafs in early 1992. A trade that would prove fatal to the Flames and played a huge part in the franchises 7-year playoff drought.

TO TORONTO

Doug Gilmour, Jamie Macoun, Ric Nattress, Kent Manderville and Rick Wamsley

TO CALGARY

Gary Leeman, Alexander Godynyuk, Jeff Reese, Michel Petit and Craig Berube

I'm going to stay away from some of the statistical comparison's because they are just too glaring... just taking a quick look at the players involved tells you all you need to know about this lopsided trade.

But, let's follow some of the trade threads and see what kind of ramifications it has on today's NHL.

Toronto

The only current roster player to stem from this trade for the Maple Leafs is none other than Alexei Ponikarovsky. A 4th-round pick in '98 acquired from the Red Wings in exchange for Jamie Macoun, who would win his second cup with Detroit that season.

Calgary

None.

However, the Calgary Flames traded Leeman to the Habs for Brian Skrudland. Down the road, Skrudland would be shipped to Dallas in a 5-player trade including Todd Harvey; Harvey would be traded to San Jose in a deal that sent Radek Dvorak to the Blue Shirts who would then send Radek to the Oilers in a deal including Cory Cross. Cross was dumped on the Pens, sending Tarnstrom to the Oilers ... starting to see where I'm going with this??? ... Tarnstrom was traded to the Blue Jackets for Curtis Glencross, who lit it up with the Oil and then left the arctic for a UFA deal in sunny Calgary.

Sure, the thread actually breaks after Edmonton acquires Glencross, but I had to try and find some sort of present-time ramifications involving our current roster.

And now, nearly 17 years later, Flames fans alike can pin our hopes on the back of Mr. Glencross as he stands, alone, as the final chance to rectify a trade that has plagued this franchise for years!!!

Not to get dramatic or anything.

Current NHLers Not in Toronto or Calgary

Follow the thread...

Gilmour - Jason Smith - Smith - Joffrey Lupul/Joni Pitkanen - Erik Cole, EDM

Gilmour - Alyn McCauley/Brad Boyes - Boyes - Dennis Wideman, BOS

Leeman - Skrudland - Harvey - Dvorak - Anson Carter - Jaromir Jagr, NYR

Notables, Michael Blunden CHI (Steve Sullivan), Kirill Petrov NYI (Manderville), Mark Stuart BOS (Jason Smith), Dmitri Patzold SJ (Skrudland)

Wore the Maple Leaf Due to this Trade

Steve Sullivan
Alyn McCauley
Jason Smith
Owen Nolan
Ric Jackman
Drake Berehowsky
Alexei Ponikarovsky

Wore the Flaming 'C' Due to this Trade

Brian Skrudland
Dan Keczmer
Tommy Albelin
Cale Hulse
Jocelyn Lemieux
Sergei Krivokrasov

*Phil Housley and Craig Berube were involved in these deals and would later return to play for the Flames.*

Albelin was the only one of these acquisitions who played any major role with the Calgary Flames, all of the others left after one partial season or were virtually non-existent in their time with the club.

No, this trade didn't have the impact that the Gretzky deal did, nor should it. But when you look at the players who went through Calgary versus those that went through TO, its easy to see why the Flames struggled just 4 seasons following that horrific deal.

It may have been 16 years ago, but following the many trade threads shows you the impact a trade can have on a franchise. Now, with Darryl Sutter at the helm, it seems like Flames fans will be safe in not ever having to go through another Gilmour saga. You could compare it to Sutter trading Jarome Iginla today. But really, Gilmour was young and yet to hit his prime... so although he's a defenseman, it would be more like Sutter trading Dion Phaneuf. Which we know isn't going to happen.

16 years and about 30-40 trades later, it all boils down to Alexei Ponikarovsky and Curtis Glencross. And although Calgary fans have high hopes for Glengarry Glencross, the Maple Leafs still come out on top.

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