Every team has trades where they are able to look back and think “We made out good on that one.” Whether it be a player-for-player swap, or acquiring draft capital for a player(s), the Detroit Red Wings have been able to do this a few times since 2000.
Igor Larionov For Yan Golubovsky, 2000
After leaving the Red Wings as a free agent in 2000 for the Florida Panthers, Igor Larionov was brought back to Detroit for forward Yan Golubovsky. Although he only ended up back in Detroit for three seasons, Larionov played a big part in them winning the Stanley Cup in 2002.
In the 2001-02 season, Larionov was able to total 11 goals, 32 assists and 43 points in 70 regular season games. He also played a big role in the Red Wings’ power play, having four goals, 17 assists and 21 points. Come playoff time, he did not slow down, tallying 11 points in 18 games helping the Red Wings win their 10th Stanley Cup. He is known by many for his game-winning goal in the Stanley Cup Final in Game 3 in triple overtime.
On this date in 2002: #FreepFlashback
— Freep Sports (@freepsports) June 8, 2020
Igor Larionov’s goal at 14:47 of triple OT gives Red Wings a 2-1 series lead, 3-2 win over Hurricanes in Game 3 of Stanley Cup Final.
Brett Hull forced OT with 1:14 left in the 3rd; Dominik Hasek had 41 saves.
(Goal photo by @DetroitMandi) pic.twitter.com/6y29GemgAH
In the three seasons after Larionov’s return to Detroit, he was able to score 25 goals, 90 assists and 115 regular-season points while adding another 16 points in the playoffs.
Golubovsky on the other hand was not able to stick in the NHL. Originally a 1994 first-round pick by the Red Wings, he only played 50 games, putting up one goal, five assists and six points in parts of three seasons. After being traded to Florida he only appeared in six games with the Panthers, totaling two assists. After the 2000-01 season, he never made his way back to the NHL.
Dominik Hasek From Buffalo Sabres, 2001
Another trade that helped bring the Red Wings a championship was bringing in Dominik Hasek from the Buffalo Sabres before the 2001-02 season. They acquired Hasek from Buffalo for Yvacheslav Kozlov, a 2002 first-round pick, and a 2003 conditional pick, which was not exercised in the trade.
After arriving in Detroit, Hasek was able to put up a 41-win season, which led the league. Along with that came a 2.17 goals-against average (GAA), .913 save percentage (SV%), and five shutouts. He also led the way for the Red Wings in net for the Stanley Cup run in 2002, recording 16 wins with a 1.85 GAA, .920 SV% and six shutouts, which is the second most in a single postseason in NHL history.
At the conclusion of the 2001-02 season, Hasek decided to retire from the league but eventually made his way back to Detroit in 2003-04 before leaving in 2005-06 to play in Ottawa. He then returned to the Red Wings for two more seasons in 2006-07 and 2007-08.
During his last stint with the Red Wings, Hasek compiled a 65-21-9 record with 13 shutouts in the regular season and helped them win the Stanley Cup in 2008, albeit as a backup to Chris Osgood. He retired for good after the 2007-08 season. In his time in Detroit in total, he had a 114-39-10 (ties)-11 (overtime losses) record, with a 2.13 GAA, .911 SV%, and 20 shutouts. His 114 wins rank eighth all-time in Red Wings history, while his 20 shutouts place him fifth.
In the trade, the Red Wings gave up a two-time Stanley Cup winner and one of the “Russian Five” in Kozlov. After leaving the Red Wings, he was able to put up a decent career between the Sabres and Atlanta Thrashers. The majority of the rest of his career was spent in Atlanta spanning from 2002-2010. With the Thrashers, he was able to compile 145 goals, 271 assists and 416 points in 537 games.
Along with Kozlov, the Red Wings gave up their first-round pick for the 2002 Draft which ended up being traded to the Thrashers. They used the pick to take Jim Slater out of Michigan State. He was able to put up a solid career and spent the entirety of it with the Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets organization. By the end of his career, he had totaled 955 games played with 114 goals, 124 assists, and 238 points.
While the two players given up for Hasek went on to have decent careers away from Detroit, adding a goalie who would go on to be a Hall-of-Famer and helped the organization win two Stanley Cups makes this one of the best trades they have made since 2000.
Brad Stuart From Los Angeles Kings, 2008
Two days before the trade deadline in the 2007-08 season, the Red Wings acquired defenseman Brad Stuart from the Los Angeles Kings in return for a 2008 second-round pick and a 2009 fourth-round pick. This move ended up helping the Red Wings again win a Stanley Cup like the other moves already mentioned.
The Red Wings were looking for a defenseman that could help solidify the back end of the lineup and Stuart was just that for the team. He did not put up the biggest numbers stats-wise but was able to give the team a solid defenseman who added a physical presence.
In his time in Detroit, which spanned from 2008-2012, Stuart played in 306 regular season games and totaled 16 goals, 62 assists for 78 points. He was also a solid defenseman come playoff time, compiling six goals, 19 assists and 25 points while also recording a plus-27 in 72 playoff games.
Meanwhile, the two draft picks the Red Wings traded to the Kings for Stuart ended up being traded to other teams. The 2008 second-round pick was sent to Colorado, who took goalie Peter Delmas with the pick. He only managed to play nine games in the American Hockey League (AHL) and spent most of his career in the ECHL from 2010-2014.
The 2009 fourth-round pick was traded by Los Angeles to Atlanta. This pick has come full circle for the Red Wings as the player selected is now currently with the team in defenseman Ben Chiarot. He has spent time with the Jets (post-Atlanta move), Montreal Canadiens, and Panthers before signing with the Red Wings in 2022.
Related: Yzerman’s Best Trades as Red Wings GM
Overall, these three trades were able to help the Red Wings win two Stanley Cups (2002 and 2008), while giving up players who did not necessarily have outstanding careers after leaving Detroit. With general manager Steve Yzerman making some trades since returning to Detroit, he could be adding one or two to this list in the future as well.
