As mentioned in this article';s companion piece (which you can find here), the
Boston Bruins have come out on the winning end of several of the most lopsided
trades in NHL history. Milt Schmidt turned around a moribund franchise by
acquiring Phil Esposito, Ken Hodge and Fred Stanfield from Chicago for pennies
on the dollar.

For 28 years, Harry Sinden served as an elite judge of talent and promise; the
man seemingly always knew when to jettison one player while buying low on a
superior asset. Even Jeff Gorton, interim general manager for just two months
in 2006, scored a big win by acquiring Tuukka Rask for Andrew Raycroft.

Alas, it hasn';t ALWAYS been sunshine, roses and victories for the Bruins';
front office. This has never been more apparent than in recent years. However,
even the mighty Sinden has a few trades on which he';d like to take a mulligan.

You';ll notice several recent and notable omissions. The trading of a
third-round pick for Zac Rinaldo proved to be horrendous; there';s no doubt
about that. However, until the player drafted with that pick (goaltender Kirill
 Ustimenko) turns into anything more than a long-term project, the deal does
not warrant inclusion on this list.

The same goes for the trade of Dougie Hamilton. At the time, general manager
Don Sweeney was blasted for the paltry return for a potential number-one
defenseman.Dougie Hamilton (Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports)

Nevertheless, Boston was able to salvage value by drafting Zachary Senyshyn,
Jacob Forsbacka-Karlsson and Jeremy Lauzon with the acquired picks; the three
make up a sizable contingent of Boston';s impressive and exciting pipeline of
young talent. More time is required to properly assess that trade.

Without further ado, these are the seven (eight, including honorable mention)
worst trades in Boston Bruins history.Dishonorable MentionBruins Acquire: Trent
 McCleary, Third Round Pick (Eric Naud)Senators Acquire: Shawn McEachern

All the pieces seemed to be in place for Shawn McEachern to enjoy a lengthy
career in Boston. He was an Irish kid from Waltham who tore up the college
hockey ranks at Boston University. After splitting three seasons between
Pittsburgh and Los Angeles, he came home, recording 24 goals and 53 points for
 his hometown Bruins.

To the surprise of many, McEachern was moved in the offseason for Trent
McCleary, a bottom-six grinder. A third-round pick also came to Boston in the
deal, which was used to select tough guy Eric Naud.Shawn McEachern (Photo
courtesy of palebluescot/ Flikr.)

McCleary would go on to play 59 games for the Bruins, registering just three
goals and eight points. Naud would not only fail to make it to the NHL team,
but he also played just 27 games in the AHL, scoring one goal.

On the other hand, McEachern would go on to enjoy eight successful campaigns
between the Ottawa Senators and Atlanta Thrashers, scoring 169 goals and 385
points.

Though this wasn';t exactly a franchise-altering trade for the Black &
Gold, it is indicative of the direction the franchise was moving in. The year
following the McEachern trade, Boston missed the playoffs for the first time in
 30 years, and would fail to qualify for the postseason two additional times
over the next four seasons.Calgary ContritionBruins Acquire: Jim CraigFlames
Acquire: Second-Round Pick (Steve Konroyd), Third-Round Pick (Mike Vernon)

Fresh off his sterling success and heroics in the 1980 Olympics, goaltender Jim
 Craig came home to Boston. Acquired for a second-round pick and a third-round
pick, the North Easton native seemed to be a perfect fit. The recently-acquired
 Rogie Vachon would hold the fort while Craig got his feet wet at the NHL level
 as a backup. With Vachon having just turned 35 years old, Craig would
hopefully be the heir-apparent.

It was not meant to be.Jim Craig';s Olympic gear (Photo by Wikipedia)

His tenure with the Bruins would last just 23 games; his NHL resume would boast
 just three additional appearances. He compiled a 9-7-6 record with a
goals-against-average of 3.68, and the Bruins were swept in the first round of
the playoffs.

Calgary';s third-round pick was spent on a local goaltender named Mike Vernon.
Vernon would go on to play 781 games in the NHL, winning 385. He won a Stanley
Cup with the Flames at the end of the 1988-89 season. He and Chris Osgood
shared the William M. Jennings Trophy for fewest goals allowed during the
1995-96 season. Vernon won another Stanley Cup the following year, in which
he was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy.

Steve Konroyd had a journeyman';s career, playing for six different teams.
However, he played 895 games of steady defense over 13-plus seasons.Flopping
Like a SealBruins Acquire: Carol Vadnais, Don O';DonoghueGolden Seals Acquire:
Reggie Leach, Rick Smith, Bob Stewart

Three years prior to being involved in one of Boston';s best trades of
all-time, Carol Vadnais was part of one of the franchise';s worst.

That';s not a knock on Vadnais, who was a very useful defenseman for the Bruins
 over parts of five seasons. He recorded 181 points over 263 games with Boston;
 excellent numbers for a defenseman of the era. He was also a member of the
1971-72 Bruins squad that lifted the Cup at season';s end.

Don O';Donoghue was not quite as successful, as he failed to dress for a single
 NHL game.

So if Vadnais was such a good fit, how could this be one of the franchise';s
worst trades?

Two words: Reggie Leach.

Though his best success would not come with the Golden Seals, Leach lit up the
 league for years as a member of the Philadelphia Flyers.Reggie Leach with the
California Golden Seals (Photo by Melchior DiGiacomo/Getty Images)

Following his trade from Boston, he would register 372 goals and 640 points
between California, Philadelphia, and Detroit.

He eclipsed 20 goals in 10 straight seasons, 30 goals six times, and potted 61
goals during the 1975-76 season. In the 1976 playoffs, he won the Conn Smythe
Trophy despite playing for the runner-up.

The kicker here is what Leach did against the Bruins in the 1976 NHL
semifinals. En route to a third consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearance, the
Flyers defeated an excellent Bruins team four games to one. In the five games,
Leach scored NINE goals. Nine. Including five in the clinching game.

Both Rick Smith and Bob Stewart would go on to enjoy successful careers as
steady if unspectacular defensemen. However, it';s because of what Reggie Leach
 accomplished post-trade that lands the deal on this list.Flyers Filch
from FoeBruins Acquire: Mike WaltonFlyers Acquire: Rick MacLeish, Danny Schock

This is the second installment of the Philadelphia Flyers turning former Bruins
 players/prospects into key pieces of their mini-dynasty that clashed with (and
 frequently triumphed over) the Black & Gold.  This time, the player came
directly from Boston.

Mike Walton was a solid contributor in his brief stint with the Bruins,
reaching the 25-goal mark in each of his two full seasons. And though Danny
Schock would play just 14 games in the NHL following the trade, the Flyers
still decidedly got the better of Boston.

Rick MacLeish, the fourth overall pick in the 1970 NHL Draft, would go on to
enjoy an illustrious career, the majority of which was spent in Philadelphia.
He scored 349 goals and 759 points over 14 seasons, winning the Stanley Cup
twice with the Flyers.Rick MacLeish (Photo: Bettmann/Corbis)

Losing an excellent player as part of a bad trade is disheartening and
regrettable. Sending that player to a team that goes on to eliminate you from
the playoffs twice in three years (including once in the Final) is salt in the
wound. MacLeish even scored the game-winning goal versus Boston in the 1974
Final.

Fun fact: This was actually a three-team trade, in which Philadelphia sent
future Flyers star Bernie Parent to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The team that
drafted the future Hall-of-Fame goaltender? The Boston Bruins.Swiping
SeguinBruins Acquire: Loui Eriksson, Reilly Smith, Joe Morrow, Matt FraserStars
 Acquire: Tyler Seguin, Rich Peverley, Ryan Button

Well, here it is. The trade that, fair or not, defines the latter stages of
Peter Chiarelli';s time in Boston.

Just one year after inking Tyler Seguin to a six-year, $34.5 million
extension, Boston shipped the budding superstar to Dallas, along with Rich
Peverley and Ryan Button.Photo Credit: SlidingSideways/Flickr (CC)

Rumors of immaturity and excessive partying as well as a Seguin being virtual
no-show during the 2013 playoffs (one goal and eight points in 22 games) led
the Bruins'; front office to the conclusion that it would be best to attempt to
 sell high on a seemingly flawed, albeit talented individual.

Since the trade, Seguin has scored at a point-per-game pace with the Stars (306
 points in 305 games), making three All-Star teams in four seasons. Still just
25 years old, it would appear that many more goals and All-Star appearances are
 in his future.

Ryan Button never made it to the NHL, and has spent the last three seasons
playing professionally in Germany. Rich Peverley played just 62 games with
Dallas before a scary incident in which the veteran went into cardiac arrest on
 the team bench promptly ended his career.

Nevertheless, Dallas won the trade handily.

Loui Eriksson enjoyed two solid (and one excellent) seasons in Boston prior to
leaving the team for Vancouver in free agency. Reilly Smith scored 91 points in
 163 games with the Bruins prior to being on the other side of a disastrous
trade, being swapped for Jimmy Hayes. Joe Morrow topped out as Boston';s
seventh defenseman prior to his release this past June. Matt Fraser failed to
develop into the kind of big-bodied, hard-shooting winger the team had
envisioned; he was last seen playing professionally in Sweden.

Just four years after trading their budding star, Boston retains zero of the
pieces acquired. Woof.Bruins Buried by AvalancheBruins Acquire: Brian Rolston,
Sami Pahlsson, Martin Grenier, First-Round Pick (Martin Samuelsson)Avalanche
Acquire: Ray Bourque, Dave Andreychuk

Before detailing just how bad this trade wound up being, there is a caveat that
 must be addressed: This trade was made for Ray Bourque, not the Boston Bruins.

At 39 years old, the Cup-less legend was marooned on a bad Bruins team. Despite
 the team';s struggles, both he and Andreychuk were enjoying strong seasons.
Bourque could still anchor a top-pairing and Andreychuk had potted 19 goals in
63 games prior to the trade. With each of their contracts set to expire at
season';s end, the two were shipped to a legitimate contender in Colorado.Ray
Bourque (Photo by Denis Brodeur/NHLI via Getty Images)

Though the two would fall to the Dallas Stars in an epic, seven-game Conference
 Final, Bourque would finally hoist the Cup the following season before
retiring.

"Do it for Ray" notwithstanding, the return for shipping out the team';s best
player as well as a capable scorer was completely unacceptable. In fact, it led
 to Sinden stepping down from his post as GM after 28 years.

Over his four-plus seasons with the Bruins, Brian Rolston was a capable and
versatile forward. He registered 236 points in 338 games and helped Boston make
 the playoffs three times in his four full seasons with the club.

The rest of Colorado';s package of players and picks, however, was a
disaster.Brian Rolston (Michael Tureski/Icon SMI)

Sami Pahlsson, Martin Grenier and the first-round pick acquired (Martin
Samuelsson) COMBINED to play just 31 games for Boston. They combined to score
three points.

As I';ve mentioned, this trade was for Ray';s sake, and he got his happy
ending. Regardless, the front office has a responsibility to maximize the
return when jettisoning one of the greatest defensemen in NHL history. With
Detroit and Dallas both vying with Colorado for league supremacy, Sinden could
have started a veritable bidding war. He did not, and the rest is history.A
"Jumbo" MistakeBruins Acquire: Marco Sturm, Brad Stuart, Wayne PrimeauSharks
Acquire: Joe Thornton

This trade was the definition of exchanging a quarter for two dimes and a
nickel. Except the quarter was actually a silver dollar, and the nickels, upon
further review, were actually Canadian currency.

Twenty-three games into a three-year, $20 million extension, the Bruins sent
their franchise player to San Jose in return for three serviceable players.
Stuck at the bottom of the league standings, the Boston brass felt that
Thornton was not the kind of a player/leader they could build their team
around, and sought to shake things up. Sharks GM Doug Wilson was more than
happy to oblige.Joe Thornton (Billy Hurst-USA TODAY Sports)

Brad Stuart and Wayne Primeau each lasted roughly 100 games with the Bruins
before being traded to Calgary in return for Andrew Ference and Chuck Kobasew.
So, at least the Bruins won a subsequent trade. Although, to be fair, I
wouldn';t trade Joe Thornton for the updated return either.

Marco Sturm enjoyed some success with the B';s, recording 193 points in 302
games across parts of five seasons.

All Joe Thornton has done since the trade is register 937 points in 914 games;
only Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin have more over that span. By the end
of next season, Thornton could be as high as 15th all-time in career points. He
 also owns the distinction of being the only player in NHL history to be traded
 in the midst of a Hart Trophy campaign.

The Stanley Cup has eluded him to this point, giving a modicum of credence to
the criticism which suggests he';s not "a winner." Whether or not you agree
with that sentiment is beside the point. If you';re going to trade your
26-year-old franchise center, you';d better receive more than three role
players.HAB-itual LosingBruins Acquire: Guy Allen, Paul ReidCanadiens Acquire:
Ken Dryden, Alex Campbell

What do Guy Allen, Paul Reid and Alex Campbell have in common? Aside from being
 part of the same trade, not one of them played a single game in the NHL.

Ken Dryden, on the other hand, might ring a few bells.

Despite playing just seven-plus seasons, Dryden won the Vezina Trophy five
times. He won the Stanley Cup six times. He recorded nearly as many shutouts
(46) as he did losses (57)."The Four-Story Goalie" Ken Dryden (THW Image
Library)

As incredibly impressive as those numbers are, the sting of trading him was
exacerbated by how thoroughly he dominated the team that drafted him, beginning
 with the 1971 playoffs.

With just six games of NHL experience, Dryden got the call to start the
playoffs versus arguably the best Bruins team ever assembled. Seven games later
 it was Montreal and their 23-year old goaltender who were moving on. After the
 shocking loss, Bobby Orr had the following to say:

Dryden was better than we had ever dreamed.

-Bobby Orr (Wayne Coffey, NHL.com), Jan. 1, 2017

Montreal would win the Cup that year, with Dryden capturing the Conn Smythe.

In his eight postseasons with Montreal, Dryden faced off with the Bruins four
times, including twice in the Final.

He won every time.

His personal accolades and success in conjunction with how frequently that
success came at the expense of the Bruins make this the worst trade in Boston
Bruins history.

* originally written in July 2017

The post 7 Worst Trades in Boston Bruins History appeared first on The Hockey
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