The Anatomy of a Trade

submitted by NgF

Who can forget that moment in ’07 the Crosby trade was announced around the giant table at Lac La Steep Stairs Hache.  After the minute long silence and that ‘what the Clutterbuck just happened?’ sort of feeling elapsed, Gojo could clearly be seen with the sad look of trader’s remorse.

Many thought that Crosby was untradeable.  Most waited in anticipation to hear that Ovie had gone the other way, but that was not to be the case that night.  Gojo, who felt backed into a corner due to a lack of depth, felt trading Crosby to ‘file’ many needs was his best course of action.

Here is a recap of what will forever be known as ‘The Crosby Trade’:

Derko trades Hejduk, Marleau, Legwand, Lupul, 2^nd in ’07

to Gojo for Crosby, 5^th in ’07, 6^th in ‘08

In the 4 years that have past, many of the pieces of that deal have moved on to other teams, but during that time, and 1 OFHL Championship, Derko has always been considered the winner of that deal.  However, that was before the Steckel hit.  That 1 hit has certainly changed the dynamics of that trade.

Here’s a look at what became of each piece of that trade to end up where we are today:

Hejduk  – included as part of a pkg to get Lidstrom, St.Louis and Brad Richards (who is still with Gojo)

Marleau – Gojo traded Marleau to Orv for a 1st in ’11, drafted Visnovsky and then pkg’ed him with Hamilton to get Zetterberg

Legwand – dropped or lost to expansion

Lupul – included as part of a pkg to get E.Staal, C.Wilson and Gubransson

2^nd in ’07 – drafted Voracek, who was pkg’ed with Doughty and traded to Derko for D.Sedin and Nash

to Derko:

What am I doing at the bottom of the stairs?

Crosby – concussion-like-symptoms

5^th in ’07 – drafted Couture only to drop him

6^th in ’08 – traded as part of an overpayment to get Recchi at a “Denny’s X-Mas Tradetacular”

It can be argued that if this trade had not gone down that day, Gojo would not and could not be in the position he is in, that is leading the OFHL only 2 weeks from the mid-way point, on the way to what could be his first title in his 17 year existence.  Gojo got a sniff of Derko’s Cup last season, and he looks like he is moving onto bigger and better prizes.

In closing, any one trade, when examined by itself, can be more easily analyzed and a winner declared.  It is with time that the dynamics of further trades, injuries, etc. that the water becomes murkier and the winner less clear.  I’m sure Derko would do that trade all over again, but maybe so would Gojo!

In the next edition of ‘Anatomy of a Trade’:  Gojo’s raping of the virgin Erty.