I discover myself writing about Rejean Houle fairly often lately as I dive deep into the worst Montreal Canadiens trades. After buying and selling the likes of Patrick Roy, Mike Keane, Vincent Damphousse and Pierre Turgeon, Houle was nonetheless allowed to run the Canadiens for just a few extra years. In 1998, he made one more commerce, this time with the Tampa Bay Lighting.
On this one, he shipped out Stephane Richer who wasn’t a lot of a risk by then, but it surely wasn’t the previous 50-goal scorer that might come again to chunk the Canadiens.
A Actual Pest
Earlier than there was Brad Marchand and after there was Claude “Pepe” Lemieux, the Canadiens drafted a Caster, Alberta native on the 1993 draft; Darcy Tucker. His first season within the WHL yielded modest outcomes with 13 factors in 26 video games, however his second 12 months confirmed there was extra the place that got here from, in 67 video games he scored 89 factors and had 155 penalty minutes.
If that draft 12 months efficiency bought Montreal’s consideration, his following two seasons within the WHL had been much more spectacular and bought him a contract with the crew. In his first skilled season within the AHL, Tucker racked up 93 factors and 174 penalty minutes and bought himself three video games within the NHL. Montreal assumed he was prepared for the NHL within the subsequent season. In 73 video games, he picked up 20 factors whereas spending 110 minutes within the sin bin. Within the following season, his efficiency wasn’t any higher and the Canadiens referred to as time on his tenure in Montreal 39 video games into the 1997-1998 season. In that span, he had solely bought six factors and 57 penalty minutes.
The Commerce
Sad with Tucker’s efficiency, Houle elected to bundle him with Stephane Richer, (who had been again in Montreal for a 12 months and a half), former Twentieth-overall choose on the 1992 draft, defenseman David Wilkie, and ship them to Tampa Bay.
In return, the Canadiens acquired Patrick Poulin, a Quebecer who was a ninth-overall choose by the Hartford Whalers on the 1991 draft; right-shot defenseman Igor Ulanov, a tenth-round choose in 1991 (sure the draft was that deep again then) who was on his fourth crew in eight seasons and ahead Mick Vukota, an undrafted robust man who had already performed 11 seasons within the NHL and who’s greatest days had been clearly behind him.
The Aftermath
Unsurprisingly, Montreal was Vukota’s final cease within the NHL. He did maintain enjoying professional for a few seasons within the AHL. He completed the season of the cope with the Canadiens and had 76 penalty minutes to his title on the finish of the common calendar.
As for Ulanov, he solely performed 4 video games earlier than the top of the season after the commerce. He bought an help and 12 minutes in that span. He spent all the next marketing campaign in Montreal, suiting up for 76 match-ups and choosing up a dozen factors to go together with his 109 penalty minutes. After enjoying 44 video games within the 1999-2000 season, he was despatched to the Edmonton Oilers in a minor deal. the Canadiens obtained Matthieu Descoteaux and Christian Laflamme whereas Alain Nasreddine went to Alberta with Ulanov.
The third participant acquired by the Canadiens within the deal, Poulin, would spend 4 and a half unimpressive years with the Sainte-Flanelle and didn’t make a lot of an impression. Within the 2001-2002 season, he was despatched all the way down to the AHL the place he performed his final 28 skilled hockey video games with the Quebec Citadelles. Sadly for him, he by no means lived as much as the lofty expectations which are sometimes placed on first-round picks. When all was mentioned and completed, he simply could not sustain with NHL play regardless that the Canadiens’ persistence allowed him to play 634 video games earlier than retiring.
In the meantime, Tucker’s performances improved underneath the Florida solar. Slowly however absolutely he began to have extra of an affect on the video games. Nevertheless, it is as soon as he was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs that he grew to become the perfect model of himself, placing up factors whereas additionally stirring up the pot. For 3 years, he even bought to play with brother-in-law Shayne Corson after he signed with the Leafs as a free agent earlier than the 2000-2001 season. The facility ahead was fortunate to have the ability to depend on Tucker who helped him cope with panic assaults and stressed nights as he was not solely his linemate, however his roommate on the highway.
Wilkie did not make a lot of a mark in Tampa Bay or wherever else actually. He had solely performed 167 NHL video games when he determined to hold them up. As for Richer, he wasn’t the deadly attacker he had as soon as been. He solely performed three extra seasons of NHL hockey with the Bolts, the St. Louis Blues, the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Devils. Nonetheless, when the curtain fell on his profession he had performed 1054 video games and racked-up 819 factors. To at the present time, he stays the final 50-goal scorer the Canadiens have had. A feat that hasn’t been seen in Montreal because the 1989-1990 season.
Ultimately, Tucker was unquestionably essentially the most impactful participant within the commerce and performed 12 NHL seasons after being solid apart by the Canadiens. He did not make it to the 1000 NHL recreation milestone, however he did play 947 matches. His final season was with the Colorado Avalanche in 2009-2010 and when he pulled the plug, he had 476 factors and 1410 penalty minutes.