A Winning Habit
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Montreal Canadiens: Top 5 Trades That Were Rumoured, But Never Quite Happened

By Patrick Lortie

BOSTON, MA - APRIL 25: Vincent Lecavalier #4 of the Tampa Bay Lightning skates the puck against the Boston Bruins during the game on April 25, 2013 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - APRIL 25: Vincent Lecavalier #4 of the Tampa Bay Lightning skates the puck against the Boston Bruins during the game on April 25, 2013 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images) /
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DETROIT, MI – CIRCA 1992: Steve Yzerman (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI – CIRCA 1992: Steve Yzerman (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

After the 1989-1990 season, Jacques Demers was fired as head coach of the Detroit Red Wings after finishing last in the division. That year, his best scorer was a 24 year old named Steve Yzerman who put up an eye popping 62 goals and 67 assists totalling 127 points. However it was said that this young scorer was a one-dimensional player who cannot back check as proven by his +/- record of -6. The Red Wings were going nowhere and they wanted to stack up on more complete players and thought they can get a big haul for the young centerman.

In came Serge Savard who was looking for a bonafide 1st line center to help Guy Carbonneau and Brian Skrudland. Savard would later admit that he salivated at the idea of uniting Yzerman with Stephane Richer, who was fresh off a 51 goal campaign, and Russ Courtnall.

The trade was verbally agreed upon and Detroit signed on the dotted line. After mulling it over, Savard decided to back off from the deal. He didn’t like having to give up Shayne Corson who at the time, was a locker room leader and clutch player (before alcoholism and reports of gambling started derailing his career), and Brent Gilchrist was still considered as a player with huge potential.

In the end, the idea was nixed. Yzerman transformed himself as one of the most complete players in the game and constantly shows up in the top 10 greatest players of all time. Corson would leave Montreal in 91-92 and would bounce around the league in Edmonton, St-Louis, back to Montreal, Toronto and Dallas, never to be the dominant player he could’ve been.

Gilchrist never lived up to his potential having mostly played 3rd and 4th line roles in Edmonton, Dallas, Detroit and Nashville. Eric Desjardins would prove himself as the quarterback of the Montreal blue line until he was ultimately traded to Philadelphia along with John LeClair and Gilbert Dionne in the still debatable Mark Recchi trade.

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