New Jersey Devils: 5 Blockbuster Trades That Almost Happened
By Mike Luci
Historically, the New Jersey Devils have always utilized the trade route to obtain foundational talent. We all know about the organization’s most significant and memorable trades, like the Tom Kurvers deal that got New Jersey the 1st-round pick they used to draft Scott Niedermayer, or more recent transactions like the infamous “One for One” swap that brought Taylor Hall to the franchise. For better or worse, the ramifications of these trades have left their marks on the organization. Some pivotal building blocks that helped the Devils win championships came through trades, while others set the team back for years.
When delving into this particular aspect of New Jersey Devils history, what’s more interesting are the trades that didn’t occur, and how the team’s timeline could have changed if those particular deals ever came to fruition. From nearly trading a future Conn Smythe winner to other “one-for-one” scenarios, the Devils organization would probably look a lot different today if any of these five trades actually happened.
Lamoriello Nearly Traded a Future Conn Smythe Winner to St. Louis
Touted as one of the league’s all-time agitators, right wing Claude Lemieux holds a place in a lot of New Jersey Devils fan’s hearts for his Conn Smythe-winning role on the 1995 Stanley Cup squad. The months leading up to their unlikely championship weren’t nearly as glamorous. The team struggled mightily early on in the lockout-shortened 1994-95 regular season, making the playoffs by six points and finishing just four games over .500 (22-18-8).
Several Devils players underperformed offensively that season, seeing the team go from finishing second (1993-94) to 13th (1994-95) in goals scored. Lemieux especially underachieved in this category. His offensive productivity was declining in recent years, having scored over 100 goals through his first three seasons in New Jersey (1990-1993) to just 24 in his last two (1993-1995). Not only was Lemieux up for a contract renewal that summer, but his widely-known antics were getting under the skin of his own teammates and coaching staff.
The assortment of circumstances almost led to General Manager Lou Lamoriello trading Lemieux to the St. Louis Blues for center Craig Janney. It’s a name few Devils fans may even remember, but Janney was considered one of the league’s top playmakers at the time, having collected over 280 assists and 360 points the four seasons prior.
Janney wound up getting dealt to the San Jose Sharks, while Lamoriello pursued other avenues to bulk up his roster for the playoffs. New Jersey probably would have been perceived as the winning team if that deal went through, but knowing how events panned out, the Devils probably don’t win their first Stanley Cup if Lamoriello made that trade. Lemieux would go on to score 13 goals for the New Jersey Devils during their championship run, resulting in him being the 1995 Conn Smythe Trophy recipient.