Two failed trades that would have sent Lecavalier to Toronto and MTL
Vincent Lecavalier had a fantastic career in Tampa Bay. So much so that he is now a legend with the Lightning as his jersey has been retired.
However, things could have been very different for the famous number 4. It is remembered that in 2009, when he was at the peak of his abilities, the Quebecer almost became a Canadien.
As confirmed by the team's former GM, Brian Lawton, Bob Gainey would have traded Carey Price, P.K. Subban, and Max Pacioretty in return for Lecavalier. It was the Lightning's owner, not wanting to strip the team, who vetoed the transaction.
However, just imagine how the last few years of the Habs would have been without these three players who became its core...
Nevertheless, this was not the first time that Lecavalier almost ended up with a Canadian team. During a recent edition of the podcast 32 Thoughts, Jeff Marek claimed that early in his career, Lecavalier almost became a Leaf.
The trade would have sent Nik Antropov, Jonas Hoglund, Tomas Kaberle, and Brad Boyes OR a first-round pick to the Lightning. According to Marek, the trade never happened because Rick Dudley resigned on February 9, 2002, as GM of the Lightning and was replaced by his assistant Jay Feaster. The tumultuous relationship between Lecavalier and John Tortorella was the reason for this trade attempt.
Once again, just imagine if the Lightning had traded Lecavalier!
Sometimes the best trades are indeed the ones that are not made...
Via TVA Sports
| POLL | ||
Would you sign Steven Stamkos for $10 million per year, for 4 years? | ||
| Yes | 86 | 14.9 % |
| No | 490 | 85.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
