7 Biggest Trades in New Jersey Devils History, Ranked

The New Jersey Devils were one of the most successful franchises in the NHL during the 1990s and 2000s. A massive part of that success was some shrewd deals that landed some elite talent in Newark.

Taylor Hall, Ilya Kovalchuk, and Martin Brodeur are just some of the household names you’ll find in my countdown of the seven biggest trades in the history of the Devils.

7 Biggest New Jersey Devils Trades in Team History

1. First-Round Pick and a Second-Round Pick for a First-Round Pick and two Second-Round Picks 

At first blush, this looks like a dime-a-dozen trade made during the draft. But, this deal with the Calgary Flames changed everything for the Devils.

While the Flames moved up to draft goaltender Trevor Kidd, the Devils slid back to draft another goalie, Martin Brodeur, at No. 20.

Brodeur led the Devils to three Stanley Cups, won four Vezina Trophies, and holds the NHL records for wins, games played by a goaltender, and shutouts. 

The Devils were a powerhouse – and often considered one of the favourites to win the Stanley Cup according to their NHL odds – for almost all of Brodeur’s tenure.

2. Sylvain Turgeon for Claude Lemieux

One of the best pests in the history of the NHL, Claude Lemieux joined the Devils in 1991 and helped turn them into a bona fide contender.

The climax of Lemieux’s successful tenure in New Jersey came when he was given the Conn Smythe after the Devils captured their first Stanley Cup in 1995.

3. Niclas Bergfors, Johnny Oduya, Patrice Cormier, a First-Round Pick, and a Second-Round Pick for Ilya Kovalchuk, Anssi Samela, and a Second-Round Pick

General manager Lou Lamoriello was known for his willingness to take big swings, and this deal could be considered his biggest.

Ilya Kovalchuk had grown tired of the struggles in Atlanta, so Lamoriello swooped in and nabbed the dynamic scorer to help reignite the Devils after some pedestrian performances.

Kovalchuk did just that, putting up 201 points in 222 games.

Kovalchuk also played a massive role in New Jersey’s surprising run to the 2012 Stanley Cup Final, putting up 19 points in 23 contests.

The Devils would come up short against the Los Angeles Kings, but it was a run that defied the hockey odds. 

4. Adam Larsson for Taylor Hall

Like the Kovalchuk deal, this one was a stunner to the hockey world.

Taylor Hall was a former No. 1 overall pick and was just 24 at the time of the trade, so the fact that the Devils could acquire him for “just” Adam Larsson put hockey Twitter into a tailspin. 

The deal would work out for both Edmonton and New Jersey, but the Devils were the main beneficiaries, as Hall would win the Hart Trophy in 2018.

5. Jason Arnott, Randy McKay, and a First-Round Pick for Joe Nieuwendyk and Jamie Langenbrunner

The Devils had already won two Stanley Cups in seven years when this trade was made in 2002, but Lamoriello thought the team had at least one more run in them.

The Hall-of-Fame general manager thought the best way to jolt the team was to shake up the room. He accomplished that by dealing Jason Arnott to Dallas for serial winners Joe Nieuwendyk and Jamie Langenbrunner.

The deal didn’t pay off in 2002, but it did a season later as Langenbrunner led the 2003 playoffs in goals and Nieuwendyk provided the Devils with terrific production as the second-line centre. 

6. Tom Kurvers for a First-Round Pick

This was another franchise-altering trade, and it was unique for the time.

Lamoriello landed a first-rounder in the 1991 draft for Tom Kurvers, despite trading him at the beginning of the 1989-1990 season. It’s the type of move that’s commonplace in today’s NHL, but wasn’t at the time.

The Devils would benefit from Lamoriello’s patience, as they selected Hall-of-Famer Scott Niedermayer third overall with the pick they received from Toronto.  

7. Brandon Morrisson and Denis Pederson for Alexander Mogilny

Alexander Mogilny was considered one of the best offensive players in the 1990s, but he was getting up there in age when Lamoriello acquired him from Vancouver at the 2000 trade deadline.

Mogilny would prove to have plenty left in the tank, as he helped the Devils win the 2000 Stanley Cup and followed it up with a 43-goal campaign in 2000-2001.