The 5 Worst Trades In Avalanche History

Like any other hockey team, the Avs have made some great trades and some horrible trades. Let’s take a look at the 5 worst trades in Avs history. Here is a fun thing you can do: Off the top your head, come up the five worst trades, then see if you missed any or if you were right. Here we go:

#5: The Colorado Avalanche traded Radim Vrbata to the Carolina Hurricanes for Bates Battaglia.

At the time it may have looked like a somewhat even trade. Vrbata was a young, relatively unproven forward and Battaglia was a hard-nosed forward with a 20 goal season already under his belt. But let’s look at this through our hindsight lense because that’s always fun. Since that trade, Vrbata has scored 166 goals and 187 assists. Not too shabby at all. Meanwhile, Battaglia, who lasted another half season in Colorado, has scored 17 goals and 31 assists in the NHL since, while bouncing around various European leagues in the process. But he won the Amazing Race with his brother so that’s pretty awesome I guess.

#4: The Colorado Avalanche traded Craig Anderson to the Ottawa Senators for Brian Elliott.

                                   

Remember Craig Anderson? That guy who would’ve won the Vezina this year if he didn’t get healthy? The guy who was the #1 reason the Avs made the playoffs the last time, and the #1 reason Sacco ever got a Jack Adams nomination? Well we traded him for Brian Elliott, who at the time was on one of his tremendous slumps. And we let him go for nothing. That is a trend in the Avs management. Let’s hope the new era changes that.

#3: The Colorado Avalanche traded Alex Tanguay to the Calgary Flames for Jordan Leopold, a 2nd round pick in 2006 (Codey Burki) and a 2nd round pick in 2007 (Trevor Cann).

The cap played a role in this trade, but it was a horrible return for a guy like Tanguay. Coming off a 29 goal season, the pending RFA was traded for a mediocre defenseman and two 2^nd round picks that amounted to 0 NHL games. Leopold was a good prospect, and the 2^nd round picks looked great, but Alex Tanguay, Game 7 hero in 2001 and still many years of prime hockey ahead of him couldn’t even muster a 1^st round pick or a few other roster players? That is unfortunate.

#2: The Colorado Avalanche traded Chris Stewart, Kevin Shattenkirk and a 2nd round pick in 2011 (Ty Rattie) to the St. Louis Blues for Erik Johnson, Jay McClement and a 1st round pick in 2011 (Duncan Siemens).

If I was Charlie Brown right now I would throw my head in the air and let out one big “AUUUUUG”! Why? Because this trade, in foresight, hindsight, nearsight, farsight, and even night vision on one of those neat goggle sets you can get at Target, it was a horrible trade. Stewart, who broke his hand and was just adjusting to play again, and Shattenkirk, All American D-man and a blue chip prospect, and a 2^nd round pick…for first overall bust (even at that time), Jay McClement, who we let go for nothing, AGAIN, and Duncan Siemens who, mark these words, won’t turn out to be anything in this league. Awful. You know why so let’s move on.

(Drumroll)

#1: The Colorado Avalanche traded Chris Drury and Stephane Yelle to the Calgary Flames for Derek Morris, Jeff Shantz and Dean McAmmond.

No Avs fan, when they read the newspaper the next morning, liked this trade. Again, money was the issue and it saw a great Avalanche player get shipped out of town for diddly squat. After the trade, Shantz played a total of 74 games in the NHL. The Avs did the ridiculous thing of trading McAmmond back to Calgary that same season. Fun note: that violated a transaction rule of the league so McAmmond was banned from playing the rest of the year. Derek Morris was alright on defense, but for CHRIS DRURY that’s all the Avs could get? Not to mention heart and soul player/great defensive centerman Stephane Yelle was included. Drury would go on to star in Calgary, Buffalo, and New York before hanging up the skates prematurely after signing a horrible contract. Yelle bounced around in Boston and Carolina before playing his last games with the Avs in 2011. Bottom line with this trade: The Avs traded an NHL Superstar/Allstar for a fading centerman (Shantz), a bottom 4 defenseman, and a winger with potential…that they traded back for a 4^th round draft pick. What on Earth were they thinking?

Honourable Mentions:

The Colorado Avalanche traded Sandis Ozolinsh and a 2nd round pick in 2000 (Tomas Kurka) to the Carolina Hurricanes for Nolan Pratt, a 1st round pick in 2000 (Vaclav Nedorost) and two second round picks in 2000 (Jared Aulin + Agris Saviels).

The Colorado Avalanche traded Chris Dingman to the Carolina Hurricanes for a 5th round pick in 2001 (Mikko Viitanen).

The Colorado Avalanche traded Johnny Boychuk to the Boston Bruins for Matt Hendricks.

If you disagree with the order, or think we left some trades out, leave them in the comments!