The worst trades in Maple Leafs history: (2023)

As we near the NHL trade deadline of March 21st^{call up}Here's a look at the five worst deals the Toronto Maple Leafs have made in their 105-year history. Today we will talk about trading numbers five and four.

#5: It's a Biggs deal

• Toronto-Ahornblätter:2011 1^{call up}Round Pick Nr. 22 (Tyler Biggs)
• Pathos Anaheim:2011 1^{call up}Round selection #30 (Richard Rachel) year 2011 2^{North Dakota}Select round #39 (Juan Gibson)

One of Brian Burke's best trades, trading the 1^{call up}mi 2^{North Dakota}Pick the same draft for Tyler Biggs, who played many ECHL and AHL games but never played an NHL game.

The package:

The Maple Leafs earned the 22nd^{North Dakota}Wahl 2011 1^{call up}round with which they drafted power forward Tyler Biggs. Brian Burke fell in love with the job, spoke highly of Biggs and, well, his career never came of it. His NHL stat line is 0 points in 0 games and a whopping 15 points in 108 AHL games. The most notable thing Biggs was involved with during his time in the Leaf organization is thePhil Kesselexchange for thePittsburgh-Penguinein 2015, that was the start of the makeover that brought in all the stars we love today. However, as of 2018–19, Biggs has not played ice hockey in an organized league and is not involved in the game in any way.

To return:

To get Tyler Biggs, Brian Burke traded all 30^º, pick for the Anaheim Ducks, which prompted them to pick Rickard Rakell with the 30^ºSelection. He had an above-average NHL career, amassing 329 points in 534 games in his 10 years with the Ducks. with the 39^ºIn that draft, they selected goaltender John Gibson, who would have solved many of the problems the Maple Leafs would face in the years to come. Although it probably meant nojack campbellÖFrederick AndersonGibson has been considered an elite goaltender in the NHL for years. In his nine years with the Ducks, he recorded 162 wins and 23 losses in 353 games with a career SV% of .917 and a GAA of 2.58.

This is clearly one of the worst trades in Maple Leafs history, as well as Brian Burke's career. He felt that Biggs would bring great success to the organization and in return it would not matter to change that selection. However, it was the complete opposite and hampered the team until recently when they were able to pull off a proper rebuild. Even though the Maple Leafs didn't want to draft Rakell or Gibson with those picks, they had options instead of trading all 30.^º,mi 39^ºOptions to select Biggs.

Here are some of the options you missed:

• Philip Danault(Chicago, dial #26)
• boone-jenner(Dove, dial #37)
• brandon saad(Chicago, Option Nr. 43)
• Joel Edmundson(saint Louis, dial #46)
• Nikita Kutscherow(Tampa Bay, Pick #58)

#4: Bobby Lu

• Die Toronto Maple Leafs:wendel-clark,Matthew Schneider&DJ Smith
• New York Islanders:Sean Haggerty,darby hendrickson,Kenny Johnson, & 1997 1^{call up}selection round (Roberto Luongo)

Can you imagine Roberto Luongo wearing a Maple Leafs jersey? Well, it could have been 1997, but March 13th instead.^ºIn 1996, they packed a package and sent it to the New York Islanders to take fan favorite Wendel Clark, defenseman Mathieu Schneider and D.J. blacksmith

The package:

Sean Haggerty was drafted 2nd draft by the Maple Leafs in 1994.^{North Dakota}round with the 48^ºSelection. His time with the team was short, he only played one game with them. He made just 14 league appearances, recording one goal and two assists.

Darby Hendrickson was a profound cog in the organization and was selected on the 4th^ºround with 73^thirdSelected in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft. Played in 233 games with the Maple Leafs and scored 47 points before being traded to the Maple Leafscanucks de vancouverFebruary 16^º1999. He would continue playingwild minnesota2000-01 where he had his greatest success with 60 points in 182 games.

Kenny Jonsson was the second most important part of the deal as he was twelfth^ºOverall pick of the Maple Leafs in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft. His tenure with the team was short, having played just 89 games and scoring 35 points. After the city was sold to the New York Islanders, he found success. Jonsson became one of the top 4 most useful defenders there and played with them for 9 seasons. During his time with the Islanders, he played 597 games and scored 232 points.

When it comes to 1^{call up}Round pick in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft, many would argue that the Maple Leafs may not have had the opportunity to pick Roberto Luongo due to bad luck. However, the choice they exchanged turned out to be their fourth.^ºgeneral selection and was used to recruit future Hall of Famer Luongo. Given the setting and the ensuing "what ifs" it's hard to say he would have been the goalkeeper he was at the end of his career. However, he was 4th^ºoverall selection and the only goalkeeper to have been voted in the top 20, everything points to him having a successful career. The other argument some are making is what if they took him before number 4, right in that 1997 draft, the top 5 would be:

1. Joe Thornton(Future Hall of Famer)
2. Patrick Marleau(Future Hall of Famer)
3. Olli Jokinen
4. Roberto Luongo
5. Eric Brauer

All of those players selected in the top 5 had success in the NHL and would make an impact on the Maple Leafs during their heyday (although four of the five played for the team, it wasn't their heyday). However, Luongo is one of the best goalkeepers of his time and the team struggled with that for years following this draft.

To return:

Bringing Clark back was a great move; he was loved by so many fans here; he would play the remainder of the 1995-96 season; and a total of 112 games over the next two seasons before leaving to playTampa Bay–Blitz. He later returned for the final time in 1999-00, where he played just 20 games.

Mathieu Schneider also stayed with the Maple Leafs for almost three seasons. He played in the 1995–96 season, making 102 appearances over the next two seasons, highlighting a 37-point season in the 1997–98 season. October 14th^ºIn 1998 negotiations were held with SchneiderNew Yorker RangerforAlejandro Karpovtsevand a 4^º1999, who turned out to be Mirko Murovic.

DJ Smith was with the Maple Leafs for years after the 1995 trade. However, he spent most of his time in the AHL with the St. Louis Cardinals. John's maple leaves. he would playColorado-Lawine, and its subsidiary in the minor league. DJ Smith returned as an assistant coach for the organizationMike BabcockHe is currently the head coach of theOttawa Senators.

Although Clark and Schneider stayed for just under three years, if you follow that trade tree, Schneider goes to Rangers for Karpovtsev, and Clark entered free-hand when he could have been Roberto Luongo for years. The other key player who had to be changed was Kenny Jonsson, who is considered an elite defender and has a style similar to that of the Maple Leafs legend.Borje Salming, and did not appear in his time with the team. Overall, this trade wasn't the best of GM Cliff Fletcher's career and often leaves Maple Leafs fans wondering what could have been.

Main image credits:

Embedded by Getty Images