There have been 53 trade deadlines since the Vancouver Canucks entered the NHL. A time of season for the haves and have-nots.
The Canucks have not put themselves in a position to be the amongst the haves throughout their history. Still, they’ve managed to string together some solid wins during the trade deadline.
Here are our top 5 trade deadline moves by the Canucks as well as some honourable mentions.
Top 5
1. Markus Naslund for Alek Stojanov – 1996 Trade Deadline
At the time of the trade, it was a swapping of two disappointing players from the same draft. Naslund was on-pace for over 20 goals – he finished with 22 – and already had over 50 points but was seen as soft and slight. Stojanov had managed to record just one assist in 58 games with the Canucks that season but had 123 penalty minutes.
Pittsburgh was looking to get tougher and felt they would have no problem replacing Naslund’s offence while the Canucks believed that Stojanov’s toughness masked the other holes in his game. It took Naslund two more seasons before he broke out, and by the turn of the century, he was a perennial 40-goal scorer. Captain and trigger-man of one of the most exciting lines in hockey during the 2000s, at his peak, Naslund was worth the cost of tickets on his own.
2. Geoff Courtnall, Robert Dirk, Sergio Momesso, Cliff Ronning, & 5th (#110, Brian Loney) for Garth Butcher & Dan Quinn – 1991 Trade Deadline
A transformative trade! An absolute blockbuster that brought two BC boys, Courtnall and Ronning, home while also drastically increasing the Canucks ability to score and play with toughness. Courtnall, Ronning, and Momesso were key members of the 1994 cup run. Robert Dirk was traded at that deadline but still enjoyed several seasons as a bruising blueliner for the franchise.
The Canucks didn’t have to give up anything of real consequence. Butcher had two more decent seasons left before he could no longer keep up with the game, and Quinn was a butter-soft former scorer who was already on the decline. An unqualified win for the Canucks that is still reminisced about to this day.
3. Jyrki Lumme for 2nd (#43, Craig Darby) – 1990 Trade Deadline
Acquiring your number one defenceman for a second-round pick is beyond a tidy piece of business; it will make Mr. Clean blush. It’s no coincidence that the franchise’s fortunes turned the corner after Lumme was brought in. He was instrumental in facilitating the Canucks’ attack and was a key part of the new look offence Pat Quinn demanded. The zenith of Lumme’s time with the Canucks resulted in a Stanley Cup Final loss. Lumme remained productive for several seasons afterward.
4. Jacob Markstrom & Shawn Matthias for Roberto Luongo & Steven Anthony – 2014 Trade Deadline
That this trade was a success is one of the most impressive feats of roster management in Canucks’ history.
Public feuds, visible discontent, Luongo talking about how his contract “sucks”, and limited viable trade partners should have made this a trade with no hope to work out. Instead, Canucks’ GM Mike Gillis acquired a goaltender (Markstrom) that would eventually become one of the best in the league over a long period of time and Matthias’ only full season with the team lead to a career high in goals and points.
There are several caveats to all this, though. The Canucks ended up getting tagged with a recapture penalty for reasons that were never clear and Luongo should have never been run out of town in the first place. Given the circus that the franchise had become, what should have been a disaster ended up a triumph.
5. Doug Halward for 5th (#95, Ulf Isaksson) & Future Considerations (Gary Bromley) – 1981 Trade Deadline
Probably one of the more forgotten about moves in Canucks history. Halward became a fixture on the Canucks blueline for parts of seven seasons; playing in 324 regular season games and 28 playoff games. In the 1982-83 season, he set a club record for goals by a defenceman (19) that lasted until Adrian Aucoin scored 22 goals 16 years later. No one has surpassed him since. He was a key part of the 1982 miracle run to the Finals and the first real success for the franchise.
Honourable Mentions
Dana Murzyn for Kevan Guy & Ron Stern
There may not be a more polarizing player from the 90s Canucks than Dana Murzyn. Not a particularly agile skater, but he made up for it in toughness and gumption. Hated and loved because of these traits, he patrolled the Canucks’ blueline for parts of nine years and sacrificed his body for the team.
Jeff Brown, Bret Hedican, & Nathan Lafayette for the rights to Craig Janney
Brown and Hedican were excellent on the Canucks blueline while Lafayette provided decent forward depth. Hedican was perennially underrated everywhere he went. The rumours of off-ice issues lessened Brown’s impact with the club. Janney was originally acquired from the St. Louis Blues just seven days prior as compensation for them signing Petr Nedved. He refused to report and the Canucks traded him back to the Blues.
Brendan Morrison & Denis Pederson for Alexander Mogilny
A trade that both teams ended up quite content with. Mogilny entered a new chapter of his career with the Devils and won a Stanley Cup while Morrison was the defensive conscious of the West Coast Express. Morrison never did meet the lofty expectations most had for him, but he was a consistent 20-goal scorer and remains a popular local icon. Denis Pederson was pretty much a fourth line centre made in a lab. He is actually younger than Morrison but had seen a sharp drop-off in production the season he was traded and never recovered — a solid trade for both teams.
Chris Higgins for Evan Oberg & 3rd (#84, Jimmy Lodge)
The fact that Higgins stuck around for five more seasons elevates this acquisition to honourable mention status. The former Florida Panther was a good two-way winger who found chemistry on the second line with Ryan Kesler and had several strong moments. Until recently, he was employed by the organization in a development role. The Canucks gave up nothing of consequence to get him and were rewarded with several productive seasons.
Filip Hronek & 4th (#105, Ty Mueller) for 1st (#17, Axel Sandin-Pelikka) & 2nd (#43, Felix Nilsson)
Top-4 right-shot defencemen don’t grow on trees. That’s why the Canucks jumped at the chance to grab Hronek even if it seemed like an overpay at the time. Fast forward a couple of seasons, and he’s been a revelation for the team. Only two seasons removed from the trade and only one of the draft picks playing in North America, Canucks’ pick Mueller, it’s far too early to call this a top 5 move.
Well, Canucks fans are there any we missed? What would you have as the top 5? Sound off in the comments!
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