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The Vancouver Canucks’ worst trade they ever made in the team’s 55-year franchise history has been revealed recently and it shouldn’t come as much of a shock to fans.
It’s been 55 years since the Vancouver Canucks made their debut in the National Hockey League and there’s been a lot of good times and bad times over the course of their history both on and off the ice.
This week, following a fan vote on social media, the Vancouver Canucks’ worst trade in franchise history was revealed and it was one that fans have been trying to forget for nearly 40 years.
Vancouver Canucks’ worst trade in franchise history has been revealed
In a post on X on Wednesday, Canucks Army revealed the results of their fan vote on the worst trade in Vancouver Canucks franchise history and the overwhelming answer was the deal that sent Cam Neely to the Boston Bruins in June of 1986.
“The Cam Neely trade was voted the worst trade in Canucks history!” Canucks Army said.
Neely was drafted ninth overall by the Vancouver Canucks in 1983 after a very impressive 56-goal, 120-point campaign with the Western Hockey League’s Portland Winter Hawks.
There were some doubts about Neely’s ability to be an impact player at the NHL level, with the forward’s skating, shooting and puck handling a concern heading into his rookie season, but he eventually adapted, finishing his first year with 31 points in 56 games with the Canucks.
The Comox, British Columbia native would go on to spend parts of three seasons in his home province with the Vancouver Canucks before Jack Gordon, the team’s General Manager at the time, decided to complete a trade with the Boston Bruins, sending Neely and a first round pick in the 1987 draft – which was used to select Glen Wesley – to the B’s in exchange for centerman Barry Pederson.
Neely would go on to become a star player for the Boston Bruins, recording three 50+ goal seasons and a pair of 90+ point campaigns during his time in the Massachusetts capital.
During his time as a Bruin, Neely put up 590 points (344 goals, 246 assists) in 525 games, earning himself five trips to the NHL All-Star Game, the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy and had his number 8 retired by Boston in January 2004.
As for the other piece of the deal that Vancouver gave up, the 1987 first round pick, Boston used that to select defenseman Glen Wesley, who would go on to suit up in over 1,400 NHL games and hoisted the Stanley Cup over his head with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006.
Barry Pederson, the player Vancouver got in return in the Cam Neely trade, spent parts of four seasons with the Canucks, putting up back-to-back 70+ point campaigns in his first two years with the club before seeing his production drop off.
Pederson’s time with the Canucks came to an end in January 1990 when he was dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins along with Rod Buskas and Tony Tanti in exchange for Dave Capuano, Andrew McBain and Dan Quinn.
There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that this was the worst trade made in the history of the Vancouver Canucks and if it wasn’t completed, perhaps Neely, along with whoever that 1987 first rounder would’ve became – possibly Glen Wesley – would’ve played a big role in the team’s 1994 run to the Stanley Cup Final.
Previously on CanucksDaily
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Vancouver Canucks’ Worst Trade in Their 55-Year Franchise History Has Been Revealed
Do you think the Cam Neely trade was the worst the Vancouver Canucks ever made in the history of the franchise?