The New Jersey Devils have been a team that has added stars through trade throughout its almost 40 years of existence in the National Hockey League. The team hasn’t been able to add too many players through free agency, and the draft record is inconsistent (as is most draft records), so the propensity to trade for huge stars was a major reason they were able to get said players.
Sometimes, Lou Lamoriello, Ray Shero, or Tom Fitzgerald made the deal that made the most sense. Of course, the Devils were going to take the Maple Leafs’ first-round pick for Tom Kurvers. A trade down in the 1990 NHL Draft netted the team Martin Brodeur, but was it bold? (We guess it was kind of bold because it gave the Devils the second goalie taken, but it doesn’t make the list.) Sending Sean Burke for Bobby Holik and the draft pick for Jay Pandolfo was not Lou Lamoriello going out on a limb. He made the best move possible.
However, there are trades that came through the wire that really stress you out. It’s not because they are bad. There have been plenty of those through the years. No, these trades make you think. You can easily talk yourself into and out of these trades. There are a lot of stakes, and these are the types of trades that could get a lesser GM fired.
These trades are bold. They put the team out on a limb, but the upside is immense. These are the types of trades that win Stanley Cups if they work out. They are also the types of trades that send teams in the basement if they don’t. When looking at the history of the Devils, there were a lot of bold trades, but which ones will go down as the boldest.