The Edmonton Oilers worst trades are...

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Joshua Deeds
July 22, 2023 (11:10 PM)

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The Edmonton Oilers have had a successful history with 4 Stanley Cup wins, but in recent years, they have struggled to maintain their contender status. The team is currently working to stay competitive, and each trade they make has its unique reasons.

One significant setback for the team was losing Wayne Gretzky in a trade after his successful 40-goal season. They traded away Marty McSorley and Mike Krushelnyski for Jimmy Carson, Martin Gelinas, three 1st round picks, and 5 million dollars.

Another notable trade was when Mark Messier was traded to New York due to seeking a raise. Messier went on to win a Stanley Cup with the New York team while the Oilers only received two seasons of Bernie Nicholls after trading Messier and Jeff Beukeboom for Louis DeBrusk, Steven Rice, and David Shaw.

The team also made two regrettable trades with the New York Islanders, starting with Ryan Smyth, who they could not extend. Smyth was traded for Robert Nilsson, Ryan O'Marra, and two 1st round picks. However, Nilsson, O'Marra, and Alex Plante, who only played a few games, did not work out.

Peter Chiarelli's tenure began with a fantastic trade for Griffin Reinhart, where they sent the 15th and 33rd overall picks to New York. However, one of those picks became Matthew Barzal, while Griffin eventually played in the minor leagues.

Lastly, the Oilers sent Taylor Hall to the New Jersey Devils for Adam Larsson, who was not terrible but did not live up to the expectations of being a top defenseman. Larsson spent a significant amount of time in Edmonton, five-seasons, while shortly after Hall would win the Hart Trophy.

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