2 of the Cheapest NHL Trades Ever – Hockey Writers – Hockey History

We often delve into the analytical side of sports trading. Which players needed the most change? Which team will come out on top? Are there winners or losers in the deal? Were they overpaying for a star or underpaying for a key player?

All of these questions drive discussions that arise from this type of activity in any professional sports league. In addition, the analysis can continue for some time. It’s never too late – or for some it’s too early – to look back at the agreement and raise these questions.

In hockey, we’ve been talking about trades for years. From the day Wayne Gretzky was traded by the Edmonton Oilers to recent deals like the Alexei Yashin trade from the Senators or Phil Kessel’s deal that sent him to Toronto or Pittsburgh, it’s an endless look at the trade itself.

But what if I told you that there are two trades, in particular, that cost teams less than what a chocolate bar costs today? Yes, of course. Forget about the first $1-million man in hockey, let’s talk about two one-dollar players who went on to have successful NHL careers.

Sheppard Costs Money

The first occurred on July 9, 1990, in a trade between the New York Rangers and the Buffalo Sabres.

After the Sabers drafted him in the third round of the 1984 NHL Entry Draft, the team traded Ray Sheppard to the Rangers for one dollar.

The thing is, Sheppard wasn’t a bad player to begin with. In fact, he scored 65 points in 74 games in his rookie season with Buffalo in 1987-88 and managed 114 points in 159 regular season games before the trade. Still, the Sabers traded the 24-year-old to the Rangers for cash and a future consideration that totaled $1.

Sheppard played one season with the Rangers – posting 24 goals and 47 points in 59 games before signing with Detroit as a free agent in the summer of 1991.

With stops in Detroit, San Jose, Florida and Carolina to finish his career, Sheppard went on to score 357 goals and 657 points in 817 regular season games – retiring after the 1999-2000 season as a member of the Panthers. He added 50 points in the postseason in 81 games but did not lift the Stanley Cup.

While he may not have been one of the greatest players of his time in the NHL, it’s safe to say he was worth more than the single dollar he ever traded for. But that wasn’t the last time it happened in the NHL.

Draper’s Trade Paper

Almost three years later, the Detroit Red Wings acquired one of their greatest players of the 1990s and 2000s in Kris Draper for, you guessed it, a dollar. The Wings paid one dollar to the Winnipeg Jets for Draper, who was drafted in the third round, 62nd overall, by the Jets in 1989.

Although he was never a great offensive player, Draper was a major player in the success of the Red Wings during his tenure. His best offensive season came in 2003-04 where he had career highs of 24 goals and 40 points.

He recorded just 361 points in 1,137 regular season games for the Red Wings and 364 for his entire career, but it was what he did off the puck that made him such a valuable piece — one the Red Wings held for 17 seasons.

From 2000 to 2009 he kept talking to Selke – even if he talked for a long time to other candidates. That said, he took home the award in 2003-04 and was in the Hart conversation, finishing 28th in the voting.

His success continued into the playoffs with the Red Wings, where he had 46 points in 220 games en route to four Stanley Cups with Detroit. That includes back-to-back wins in 1997 and 1998 with two more coming in 2002 and 2008.

He was instrumental in the rivalry between the Red Wings and the Colorado Avalanche and gave the Wings depth forward and responsibility on defense. While he won’t be remembered for what he did on the offensive end, he was worth more than the dollar the Red Wings spent on him.

Regardless, Sheppard and Draper are easily two of the cheapest deals the NHL has seen in recent memory.