The Calgary Flames’ best and worst trades in franchise history

Final up for our greatest and worst collection is trades. When you observe the Calgary Flames, you’ll know they’ve had their justifiable share of blockbuster trades through the years. Most of these turned out not so nice; nonetheless, there have been a number of large wins scattered all through the years.

For this, we’ll be taking a look at each the rapid and long-term influence of the trades to find out what is nice and what’s dangerous. There have been a ton of choices to select from right here, however I attempted to slim it right down to the 2 finest and the 2 worst. Proper off the highest, I’ll point out that the Brett Hull commerce doesn’t present up. The Flames might have given away one of many NHL’s best-ever objective scorers, however they gained a Stanley Cup quickly after, with the incoming Rob Ramage enjoying a giant function of their playoff run. Banners hold eternally, and the St. Louis Blues by no means gained one with Hull.

The Flames’ worst trades

Doug Gilmour to Toronto (January 1992)

Flames obtain: F Gary Leeman, F Alex Godynyuk, F Craig Berube, D Michel Petit, G Jeff Reese

Maple Leafs obtain: F Doug Gilmour, F Kent Manderville, D Ric Nattress, D Jamie Macoun, G Rick Wamsley

You knew it’d be right here. The apparent selection for the worst commerce in franchise historical past, this one was a catastrophe from day one. Resulting from a falling Canadian Greenback and a disgruntled star in Doug Gilmour, the Flames have been backed right into a nook in the course of the 1991–92 season. With Gilmour trying to receives a commission and the Flames trying to do the other, Gilmour was shipped to the Toronto Maple Leafs for a boatload of property. On the time, this was the most important deal in NHL historical past, with 10 gamers switching groups.

As talked about above, this commerce seemed like a catastrophe from day one. The Flames not solely gave up the clear finest participant within the commerce in Gilmour, however additionally they shipped out some invaluable property in veteran Jamie Macoun and prime prospect Kent Manderville for a bunch of spare elements. The best-scoring participant coming again to Calgary was Gary Leeman, who had simply 20 factors on the yr on the time of the commerce. The trail to successful this deal was just about utterly blocked from day one, outdoors of a miracle occurring.

As anticipated, a then 28-year-old Gilmour—who was very a lot nonetheless in his prime—would turn out to be a franchise icon in Toronto and among the finest gamers in your complete NHL over the following couple of years. He’d put up a number of 100+ level seasons as a Maple Leaf in addition to two playoff runs with over 25 factors. In Calgary, all 5 gamers who got here again within the deal would not be in Calgary by the summer season of 1994, simply two years after the deal. It is a commerce that was doomed from day one and by no means had an opportunity of being profitable for the Flames.

Marc Savard to Atlanta (November 2002)

Flames obtain: F Ruslan Zainullin

Thrashers obtain: F Marc Savard

The commerce is one-for-one. A decade after the Gilmour debacle, the Flames would make one more disastrous commerce involving a gifted centre heading out the door. For some added context on what led as much as this commerce, Marc Savard was feuding with then Flames head coach Greg Gilbert concerning his function on the group. Resulting from some accidents and Gilbert’s mistrust of Savard, Savard’s ice time plummeted regardless of being the group’s finest centre by a large margin.

Earlier than the commerce and his feud with Gilbert, Savard had already posted seasons of 53 and 65 factors in Calgary earlier than his twenty fourth birthday. When he was wholesome, Savard seemed like a possible future number-one centre for the Flames and an incredible match alongside sniper Jarome Iginla. For no matter motive, Gilbert didn’t agree, and Savard slowly noticed his function on the group diminish in the course of the 2001–02 season and particularly at the beginning of the 2002–03 season. Early into the season, the Flames would ship Savard packing—reportedly at Gilbert’s request—to the Atlanta Thrashers in change for obscure Russian prospect Ruslan Zainullin. To make issues even worse, Common Supervisor Craig Button would then fireplace head coach Gilbert simply two weeks after buying and selling Savard anyway.

Savard would go on to grow to be one of many league’s premier playmaking centres over the following few years, posting 501 factors in 488 video games earlier than concussions ended his profession early in 2011. Zainullin, in the meantime? Nicely, he would by no means even come over to North America and didn’t log a single sport in Calgary. Even on the time of the deal, Zainullin’s career-high in Russia was simply 4 factors. I’m undecided what Craig Button noticed in Zainullin, however no matter it was, it blew up in his face.

The Flames’ finest trades

The Flames purchase Doug Gilmour (September 1988)

Flames obtain: F Doug Gilmour, F Mark Hunter, F Steve Bozek, D Mike Darkish

Blues obtain: F Mike Bullard, F Craig Coxe, D Tim Corkery

4 years earlier than executing arguably the worst commerce in franchise historical past by buying and selling Gilmour away, the Flames executed arguably the very best commerce in franchise historical past by bringing Gilmour to Calgary. At a time during which the Flames have been firing on all cylinders and trying to recover from the hump with a juggernaut roster, then basic supervisor Cliff Fletcher went all-in and purchased a then 25-year-old Doug Gilmour. Gilmour was simply two years faraway from a 105-point season on the time of the commerce and was simply getting into his prime. He was precisely the piece the group wanted to take the following step.

Gilmour would match like a glove in Calgary, giving the group one other lethal possibility down the center of the ice for the 1988–89 season. In his first season in Calgary, Gilmour would put up 85 factors in 72 video games to complete third in group scoring and 22 factors in 22 playoff video games. He’d be an important a part of their 1989 Cup-winning playoff run and one of many principal causes they have been capable of go all the way in which that yr.

On prime of Gilmour’s success in Calgary, one other large victory with this deal is the very fact the Flames gave up just about nothing of worth the opposite method. The primary piece going to St. Louis was Mike Bullard, who was coming off a big 103-point season with the Flames. Regardless of his earlier success, he’d play simply 20 video games in St. Louis and put up 16 factors earlier than being traded. The Flames additionally obtained Mark Hunter within the deal, who grew to become a bodily presence for the group of their Cup run. This deal was an enormous win on all fronts.

The Flames purchase Miikka Kiprusoff (November 2003)

Flames obtain: G Miikka Kiprusoff

Sharks obtain: 2005 conditional draft choose (Marc-Edouard Vlasic)

Darryl Sutter might have been on the unsuitable finish of many of the trades he made, however he did have the uncommon hit. Within the case of his 2003 commerce that introduced in goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff, he hit an absolute homerun and pulled off among the finest trades in franchise historical past. With out this commerce, the Flames’ 2004 Cup run by no means occurs.

In want of some assist in internet, Sutter dialed up his former group—the San Jose Sharks—and pulled off a deal for then 27-year-old Miikka Kiprusoff. On the time, Kiprusoff had simply 48 video games of NHL expertise, with some relatively middling outcomes. He was very a lot an unknown between the pipes and had by no means actually proven he might be an NHL starter, not to mention a perennial Vezina candidate. For no matter motive, Sutter noticed one thing in Kiprusoff that nearly nobody else did.

Kiprusoff’s rise to stardom in Calgary was just about rapid. In his first season as a Flame, he’d put up 24 wins in 38 begins, together with a ridiculous .933 save proportion. That very same season, he’d go on a historic run within the playoffs, single-handedly carrying the Flames to inside one objective of a Stanley Cup title. He’d finish the playoff with 26 video games performed, 15 wins, an insane 1.85 GAA, and 5 shutouts.

Over the course of the following 9 years, Kiprusoff would turn out to be the spine of the Calgary Flames and finish his profession as the very best goaltender in franchise historical past. Even with the Sharks touchdown eventual defensive mainstay Marc-Edouard Vlasic with the choose obtained for Kiprusoff, this commerce was nonetheless a large success for Calgary and adjusted the course of Flames historical past.

Some hits and a few misses

By way of blockbuster trades, the Flames have, most of the time, come out on the unsuitable finish of offers. The franchise has a long gone of giving freely star expertise for pennies, giving up too early on younger expertise, and easily making dangerous selections on the commerce market. With that mentioned, there have additionally been some gigantic wins on the commerce market as properly, which, as seen above, have shifted the course of the Flames’ historical past. When you’ve watched any preseason hockey up to now, Craig Conroy is properly on his option to becoming a member of the very best checklist together with his Elias Lindholm return.

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