5 Best habs trades in my Opinion

2020 has been a horrendous year for many of us. Hopefully the vaccines coming in 2021 will erase  this miserable year from our memory banks...anyways back to hockey

There has been some talk about the five best trades in Canadiens history. Canadiens' history include a myriad of cups and a myriad of hall of famers. Nope the Weber or the Danault trade are not even in the top ten using any objective measure. Of course if any championships happen in the following years led by Weber and/or Danault there could be a revision of this list.

Some of the criteria that should be used is whether there was a marked improvement with the team after the trade and did it lead to playoff or championship success. We should also consider how lopsided the trade was. The Frank Mahovlich trade was a great trade for the habs and he did win 2 Cups with the habs. However, the red wings received Mickey Redmond in the exchange and Redmond scored 50 goals twice for the wings. The wings also received Guy Charron who had several good seasons with the wings and had a lengthy NHL career.

The Gump Worsley trade was another great trade for the habs. The Gumper won 3 cups for the habs and 2 vezinas. However the habs gave up Don Marshall and Phil Goyette who went on to have lengthy careers with the rangers. Jacques Plante had less success with the rangers.

The Bobby Smith trade was another great trade for the habs that led to the stanley cup win in 1986 and the cup final in 1989. He was the big offensive center the habs were lacking after Doug Wickenheiser failed to live up to expectations. However, the habs gave up 2 very good players in Keith Acton and Mark Napier. Keith Acton had some very good years with the North Stars. Mark Napier had less success. 

There were other good trades like Vincent Damphousse and Kirk Muller. As well probably the most fruitful trade for the habs was the Craig Rivet for Josh Gorges and a draft pick that became Max Pacioretty. In an earlier blog I discussed how this trade keeps multiplying. 

I decided not to include the numerous trades for draft picks. Sam Pollock built  the habs 70's dynasty on these trades. However, in effect these picks did not guarantee that a certain player would be available. The habs had gamblers luck and were able to land with these trades the likes of Guy Lafleur, Mario Tremblay, Bob Gainey, Steve Shutt etc.  

So here are my top 5 trades all time. I prefer using 1950 as a starting off point:

5. Habs acquire Dick Duff from the Rangers for Bill Hicke- December 21,1964- GM Sam Pollock

Bill Hicke, who at one time was considered a successor to the Rocket, never lived up to expectations. Hicke played 3 seasons with the rangers and their ahl affiliate. He scored 18 goals during his time with the rangers. Hall of famer Dick Duff had already won 2 cups with the Leafs before joining the habs. The habs had not won a cup since their 5 cups in a row run that ended in 1960. Duff joined the team during the 64-65 season and went on to win 4 cups in 5 years with the habs. He was an offensive player who played most of the time on a line with Jean Beliveau. 

4. Habs acquire Doug Jarvis from leafs for Greg Hubick. -June 26,1975 - GM Sam Pollock

Greg Hubick played 70 games for the leafs. Doug Jarvis played 7 seasons for the habs never missing a game. He won 4 stanley cups. He was the habs shutdown center playing along side Bob Gainey. He was a face-off maestro and still holds the iron-man record in the nhl at 964 games.  

3. Habs acquire Bert Olmstead from Detroit for Leo Gravelle -December 19, 1950. GM Frank Selke

Leo Gravelle played 18 games for the Red Wings scoring 1 goal and 2 assists. 

Bert Olmstead had been traded two weeks earlier from the blackhawks to the wings. The year before he had scored 20 goals for the hawks. Olmstead went on to have a hall of fame career with the habs and leafs. With the habs he played 8 seasons and won 3 Stanley Cups. At one time Olmstead held the nhl record for most assists in the regular season. He also had 8 points in one playoff game. Olmstead was considered a power forward. The habs left him unprotected when the doctor said he could not play anymore. The leafs picked him up and he won one more cup with the leafs. 

2. Habs acquire Peter Mahovlich from the Red Wings for Garry Monahan- June 6, 1969. GM Sam Pollock

Garry Monahan played 51 games for the wings. He went on to play several more seasons with the leafs. Peter Mahovlich played 8 seasons with the habs winning 4 cups. He was a tall playmaking center who was a decent replacement for Jean Beliveau. Playing on the same team with his brother Frank he started to show his offensive prowess. He also helped Guy Lafleur become the much expected superstar. He played a key role for the 1972 Team Canada. He still holds the habs record for most assists in a season at 82.

1. Habs acquire Ken Dryden from the Bruins for Paul Reid and Guy Allen June 28, 1964 -GM Sam Pollock 

In his very first trade as the habs GM Pollock pulled off the greatest trade in habs history. Guy Allen and Paul Reid never played a game for the bruins. People forget Ken Dryden was only 16 at the time. The greatness of this trade was that Pollock never traded the rights away which was commonplace at the time especially considering Dryden played University hockey in the USA and for the Canadian national team. It was clearly a horseshoe trade that started Pollock’s run of charmed trades. What can be said of hall of famer Ken Dryden that has not already been said. He won 6 cups in 8 years, 5 vezinas, a Conn Smythe and a Calder and an amazing won-loss record.