The Worst Chicago Blackhawks Trades of All Time – Hockey Writers – Chicago Blackhawks

It is always easier to decide the winner and loser in a trade long after the fact. The Chicago Blackhawks made a bad trade that looked like a mistake at the time they did it. Here are the five worst trades in franchise history.

5. October 25, 1991

The Blackhawks traded offense for better defense

Coach and general manager Mike Keenan shook up the ‘Hawks’ roster after their first-round exit in the 1991 playoffs. The one trade he made that had the biggest impact on the Blackhawks that year was when he sent center Adam Creighton and winger Steve Thomas to the New York Islanders for center Brent Sutter and winger Brad Lauer. Sutter was very good defensively. The problem was that the ‘Hawks had to give up a lot of offense to get it back.

Creighton was dominant early in the season, scoring 12 points in 11 games. Thomas was a solid second-line player who scored 40 goals in 1989-90 and 19 goals in the injury-shortened 1990-91 season. Both of these players could have been the difference when the Blackhawks met the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup Finals in 1992. The Penguins swept the ‘Hawks in four games. Three of the losses were by one-goal goals. A 6-foot-5 center like Creighton might have been able to slow down Mario Lemieux — Sutter sure couldn’t. Thomas’ speed and scoring would be the punch the Hawks need.

4. March 23, 1999

Trade legend for the Blackhawks so they don’t have to re-sign him

Acquiring Chris Chelios in 1990 was one of the best deals the Blackhawks ever made. Trading him to the Detroit Red Wings nine seasons later was one of the worst. He had a great career with the Blackhawks but he slowed down as all players eventually do. He wanted to play two more years, then retire as a ‘Hawk, but Chicago had no intention of re-signing him. Instead, they traded him to the Detroit Red Wings for Anders Eriksson and two first-round picks — a terrible trade on many levels.

First, the ‘Hawks traded their team captain – the heart and soul of the franchise – to the rival Red Wings, making the Wings the better team in the process. Second, Eriksson – the warm body the ‘Hawks got – was not a prospect.

Drafted by Detroit in 1993, the Wings have long seen him as a bully. And a first-round draft pick didn’t really help – in part because the Red Wings were tight ends and never got a top pick and in part because Chicago’s evaluation left a lot to be desired.

Finally, trading a fan favorite to a hated rival is never a good way to win over fans, especially those who are still angry about the team trading Jeremy Roenick in 1996.

Eriksson continued to be a sidekick, as did the two guys they drafted (Adam Munro and Steve McCarthy). Chelios continued to play another 10 seasons, helping Detroit win two Stanley Cups, captaining the US Olympic team to a silver medal and being named to the All-Star First Team in 2002. His accomplishments in 40 years were better than the combined careers of the boys who were traded.

3. August 16, 1996

Blackhawks trade franchise star to save $5 million

By 1996, Jeremy Roenick had solidified his position as a special NHL center. Unfortunately, the Blackhawks organization didn’t want to pay him that way. Roenick was a restricted free agent and wanted a five-year contract worth $4 million a year. Instead, the Hawks decided to send him to the Phoenix Coyotes for Alexei Zhamnov, Craig Mills and a first-round pick. (from ‘BLACKHAWKS TRADE ROENICK TO PHOENIX,’ Chicago Tribune, 08/26/1996) Zhamnov was thought to be the next Sergei Fedorov, and the Blackhawks were confident they could sign him for much less than Roenick.

Phoenix had no problem getting along with Roenick. Meanwhile, Chicago was unable to come to terms with Zhamnov before the season started. Eight games into the 1996-97 season, without Roenick, no replacement, and looking to save face, the Hawks relented and signed Zhamnov to a five-year, $15 million deal. The Blackhawks saved $5 million but lost a lot of fans in the process.

2. May 15, 1967

Blackhawks dump center for big mouth, fair play

The Blackhawks had a lot of talent in the mid-1960s: Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita, Pierre Pilote, Glenn Hall and a young Phil Esposito. In his first three full seasons with the team, Espo finished fourth or better in team scoring, ranking between Hull and Chico Maki. At a team party after the 1966-67 season, a drunken Esposito told coach Billy Reay and GM Tommy Ivan “We’ve got a great team here, you could probably have a dynasty, but you two are going to hurt it.” (Thunder and Lightning by Phil Esposito and Peter Golenbock, pages 51-52)

Ultimately it was team owner Jim Norris who didn’t like Esposito’s good style of play, wanting the middle infielder to be more physical. Of course, firing Reay and Ivan didn’t help his case at all. The day before the expansion draft, Phil Esposito, Ken Hodge and Fred Stanfield were sent to Boston to scout Gilles Marotte, Pit Martin and Jack Norris. (from ‘Blackhawks helped start Bruins’ golden era,’ Boston Globe, 06/20/2013)

After the trade, Esposito would go on to rewrite the scoring and scoring record books, winning the Art Ross Trophy five times, being named to the All-Star team eight times and leading Boston to two Stanley Cups. Ken Hodge didn’t do too well either, reaching the 100-point mark twice. And Esposito was right. By trading him, the Blackhawks—who had lost two Cup Finals—went on to become a dynasty.

1. August 7, 1992

The Blackhawks traded for the best goaltender of the 1990s

‘Hawks manager Mike Keenan must have really liked Christian Ruuttu – because the Blackhawks made their worst trade in team history when they sent future star Dominik Hasek to the Buffalo Sabers for Stephane Beauregard (and a fourth-round pick), then traded Beauregard to the Winnipeg Jets for Ruuttu three days later. (from ‘HAWKS TRADE HASEK, MAY GET JETS` RUUTTU,’ Chicago Tribune, 08/08/1992)

Was Keenan unaware that Hasek has won Czechoslovakia’s top goalie award for five consecutive seasons? Or was he chosen as the best player in his country three times? Or did you somehow forget that Hasek was named to the NHL All-Rookie team in 1992, despite playing just 20 games? Keenan was also the coach of the Blackhawks, so he should have remembered the last one.

The Hawks didn’t need to move Hasek. A bold GM might have traded the team’s leading goaltender at the time — Ed Belfour — for a top scorer and banked on Hasek’s future prospects. But Keenan never made a solid trade, just wrong, which explains why he was fired so soon after this error in judgment.

Ruuttu would do the next thing as a Blackhawk – 90 points in 158 games. Meanwhile, Hasek had a Hall of Fame career while playing for the Sabres. Similar to his stay in the Czech league, Hasek won the league MVP twice and top goal scorer honors six times, setting an NHL record.

Written by former THW contributor Sal Barry, and published on May 6, 2012.