The History of Trade is a mini series going through each teams best and worst trades of all time. Each team has their own history and some may cross over, but the series will try to stick to each team. This article will focus on the Arizona Coyotes trade history, finding the best and worst of all time.
From the frozen north to the desert in the south, the Arizona Coyotes have had some great players. Most of them were acquired through draft picks; Dale Hawerchuk and Shane Doan are two that come to mind. But despite the plethora of talent from the draft, the Coyotes and formally Winnipeg Jets have had a great history in trades.
Best Trade
Although the Jets had a good run they never made any major splashes in the trade front. They managed to acquire Phil Housley and the draft pick that turned into Keith Tkachuk in a trade. Unfortunately giving up the aforementioned Hawerchuk in the process was a huge hit to the team. The biggest win for the organization may have come after the move to Arizona, when the Coyotes managed to snag Jeremy Roenick out of Chicago.
The Trade
Coyotes acquire Jeremy Roenick from the Chicago Blackhawks for Craig Mills, Alexei Zhamnov, and a 1996 first round pick (Ty Jones)
Traded Away
The Coyotes managed to give up very little in this trade. Craig Mills never managed to make an impact in the NHL. He only played in four games prior to the trade. After arriving in Chicago he proceeded to play only 27 games across the next three seasons, registering just three points. He would play the majority of his career in the AHL, finishing it off in Europe.
Alexei Zhamnov continued being a solid player for the Blackhawks. He had four seasons of more than 60 points following the trade. After spending eight years in Chicago he moved to Philadelphia. Zhamnov finished his career as the Blackhawks 25th ranked point producer.
Ty Jones may have been the biggest bust in the trade for Chicago. As a 16th overall pick, there were high expectations on the young Jones. Unfortunately for the Blackhawks, Jones never panned out. He only played eight games for the club without registering a point. He spent the next four years toiling between the IHL, ECHL, and AHL. Jones would finally return to the NHL in 2003-2004 with the Florida Panthers, but only played six games, also without registering a point.
The Return
Jeremy Roenick may have been a cap dump by the Blackhawks, but the Coyotes were not about to complain. After seven season tearing up the NHL in Chicago, Roenick didn’t miss a beat. In his first season in Arizona Roenick scored 29 goals and put up a modest 69 points. From there he posted seasons with no fewer than 24 goals for four straight years. Roenick left Arizona after five seasons, signing a four-year deal in Philadelphia. He would return to Arizona for a year in 2006 but he was no longer the player he once was. Roenick finished as the ninth leading scorer in franchise history.
Honourable Mentions: Coyotes/Jets trade Dale Hawerchuk, future considerations and the 1990 first round pick (Brad May) to the Buffalo Sabres for Phil Housley, Scott Arniel, Jeff Parker and the 1990 first round pick (Keith Tkachuk); Coyotes/Jets trade Erik Westrum and Dustin Wood to the Minnesota Wild for Zbynek Michalek.
Worst Trade
The Coyotes and Jets as a whole have struggled with trades. They managed to trade the pick that turned into Patrick Roy and traded Devan Dubnyk for a third round pick. But the worst trade in history happened just prior to their move to Arizona, and involved the living legend Teemu Selanne.
The Trade
The Jets/Coyotes trade Teemu Selanne, Marc Chouinard, and the 1996 fourth round pick (Kim Staal) to the Anaheim Ducks for Chad Kilger, Oleg Tverdovsky, and the 1996 third round pick (Per-Anton Lundstrom)
Traded Away
Marc Chouinard never played for the Jets prior to the trade. After having a fairly successful minor career Chouinard was never able to translate that potential into an NHL career. After spending only three seasons in Anaheim, recording 23 points, he moved on to Minnesota and played two seasons for the Wild. Three years after signing with Minnesota, Chouinard’s career was over.
Kim Staal never managed to become a consistent NHL player, only playing one season for the Ducks.
Selanne was the biggest piece in the entire deal. After arriving in Anaheim, Selanne put up 482 points across parts of six seasons before being traded to San Jose. After a brief stint in San Jose and an even shorter stay in Colorado, Selanne returned to the Ducks. He went on to become the ducks all-time leading scorer. It was clear the Ducks got an All Star and future Hall of Famer.
The Return
With one of the most promising young players in the league, the Jets should have gotten more in return for Selanne. Chad Kilger did turn into a consistent NHL player though. He wore the Jets/Coyotes jersey for only three seasons though, amassing only 13 points in 63 games. The Coyotes eventually traded Kilger to the Blackhawks for three players where he continued his journeyman career.
Oleg Tverdovsky stayed a little longer than Kilger, lasting all of four seasons in Arizona. His best season with the club was the 1996-1997 season, which he scored ten goals and recorded 55 points overall. He finished fourth on the Blackhawks that year in scoring and tenth in the league in Norris Trophy voting. After four seasons Tverdovsky was eventually traded back to Arizona and went on to have more success in the desert.
Per-Anton Lundstrom, the third round pick in the trade, never made the transition to the NHL. He spent his entire 16-year career playing in various leagues across Europe. Unfortunately for the Jets, that was the high point for him.
Dishonourable Mentions: Coyotes trade Devan Dubnyk to the Minnesota Wild for a 2015 third round pick (Brendan Warren); Coyotes trade Daniel Briere and the 2004 third round pick (Andrej Sekera) to Buffalo for Chris Gratton and a 2004 fourth round pick (Matt Smaby); Coyotes/Jets trade 1984 third round pick (Patrick Roy) to Quebec for Robert Picard
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