A Winning Habit
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Montreal Canadiens: Five Trades That Ruined Habs Latest Dynasty Before It Started

By Ken MacMillan

MONTREAL - NOVEMBER 5: A general view of the rafters that show the Stanley Cup Champion banners along with the retired jerseys of the Montreal Canadiens at the Molson Centre on November 5, 2002 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
MONTREAL - NOVEMBER 5: A general view of the rafters that show the Stanley Cup Champion banners along with the retired jerseys of the Montreal Canadiens at the Molson Centre on November 5, 2002 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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TORONTO, ON – JANUARY 27: Claude Lemieux #32 of the Montreal Canadiens (Photo by Graig Abel/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON – JANUARY 27: Claude Lemieux #32 of the Montreal Canadiens (Photo by Graig Abel/Getty Images) /

4. Claude Lemieux traded to New Jersey Devils for Sylvain Turgeon

While Serge Savard’s biggest blunder was trading Chelios for Denis Savard, he lost another key piece to possible Stanley Cup runs when he dealt Claude Lemieux to the New Jersey Devils for Sylvain Turgeon in September of 1990.

Lemieux burst onto the scene in Montreal in 1986, scoring ten goals and 16 points in 20 postseason games to help the Habs win the Stanley Cup. He was just a rookie that year, having played only ten regular season games before his playoff performance.

After leaving the Habs, he proved to be a valuable player for championship teams in New Jersey and Colorado. He played a physical, gritty style and had no problem adding plenty of offence. His penchant for coming up big in the playoffs did not end with his rookie year as Lemieux would win the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1995 as playoff MVP with the Devils and then won the Cup again the following year with the Avalanche. He would return to New Jersey and win yet another championship in 2000.

Meanwhile, Turgeon played one and a half underwhelming seasons in Montreal before moving on to the expansion Ottawa Senators. By 1995, he was out of the NHL, and travelled around Europe playing in various leagues, while Lemieux was proving to be a pivotal player on three Stanley Cup champions.

Lemieux set a career high with 81 points in 1993, but was at his best during a handful of playoff runs in the late 1990’s. After winning the Smythe in 1995, Lemieux scored 55 points in 62 playoff games for the Avalanche in the next four years. His 80 career playoff goals are 9th all time, one ahead of Jean Beliveau (though the great Jean Beliveau played less playoff games).

Having Lemieux in the late 1990’s on the Habs would have given them a terrific two-way player and leader who brought his all on every shift and transformed into an elite player each year in the playoffs.

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