[Rumour] Blue Jackets were offered both Jeff Carter and Mike Richards (back in 2011)

[sureLoss]

Love hearing about these what if trades that GMs almost made.

Would Carter have disliked the Blue Jackets so much if his best buddy Richards came with him?


http://bluejacketsxtra.dispatch.com/...t-em-both.html

Holmgren called Howson the day before the draft in the morning to tell him he was ready to make the move, but not before he dropped a bombshell on Howson’s lap, one that staggered him and forced him to sit down:

“You want ‘em both?” Holmgren asked Howson, meaning Carter (ital) and (end) Richards.

At that time, the Flyers were known to be actively pursuing trades – The Dispatch reported the possibility of a Voracek-for-Carter trade a week or so before it came to fruition – but nobody expected Holmgren to “blow up” his roster by trading both players.

Carter had scored 144 goals the previous four seasons. Richards had scored 112 in that span, making them two of the NHL’s brightest stars.

Howson, who declined comment when reached by The Dispatch earlier this week, told Holmgren there was no way he could make a play for both Carter and Richards without seriously depleting the Blue Jackets’ of prospects and picks.

The Flyers would likely have demanded center Ryan Johnansen – drafted one year earlier – as part of the package, along with the No. 1 pick in the following year’s draft.

According to the article the trade most likely would have been (perhaps even more):

Carter and Richards for Voracek, Johnansen, 2011 1st, 2012 1st, and 2011 3rd pick

[bubbsy]

wow... woulda, coulda, shoulda?

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by bubbsy

wow... woulda, coulda, shoulda?

Nah. Probably for the best they don't make that deal. I have a hard time believing even together those two players would be thrilled about playing in Columbus.

[PeteMoss]

So they ended up getting - Simmonds, B.Schenn, Voracek, 2011 1st round pick (Sean Courtier), 2011 3rd round pick (Nick Cousins), 2012 2nd round pick (ended up being part of a package for Nicholas Grossmann).

They actually made out pretty well.. but their team has tanked in large part due to no goaltending, which was largely the reason they moved these two guys to start with (to sign Bryzgalov)

[doctajones428]

I think it worked better this way. Columbus would have no depth or good prospects coming up

Nash-Richards-Carter would of been deadly though

[albertGQ]

How has Ryan Johnhansen looked so far.
Haven't heard much about him so far.

[Roof-Daddy]

In the end, the Blue Jackets traded:

Jakub Voracek
Sean Couturier (8th overall)
Nick Cousins (68th overall)

for

Jack Johnson
Mark Dano (27th overall)

[Da_Chief]

Originally Posted by albertGQ

How has Ryan Johnhansen looked so far.
Haven't heard much about him so far.

Great, becoming a 1st line center.

[devo22]

Originally Posted by albertGQ

How has Ryan Johnhansen looked so far.
Haven't heard much about him so far.

really good so far this season, he's a legitimate top 6 center going forward. That extra time in the AHL last season really helped him.

I think the Jackets dodged a bullet there. This trade would have really depleted them in terms of picks and prospects. Nash-Richards-Carter would have been interesting though. Maybe could have convinced Nash of staying if it worked

[RyZ]

Originally Posted by albertGQ

How has Ryan Johnhansen looked so far.
Haven't heard much about him so far.

He struggled during his first few seasons but has been great, and probably CBJ best forward so far this season. It seems like everything has finally clicked with him. He'll be good.

[d_phaneuf]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

In the end, the Blue Jackets traded:

Jakub Voracek
Sean Couturier (8th overall)
Nick Cousins (68th overall)

for

Jack Johnson
Mark Dano (27th overall)

and that's why they have a new GM

[Patrick Bateman]

That would have been a bruuuutal trade for the BJ's.

I have met Scott Howson before and he is praises Ryan Johansen every team I hear him talk about him still. He would never be included for guys like that. Howson has enough respect for his job that he would sacrifice the future of his organization for current salary. He ended up getting fired, even though in this case he made a good decision. Too bad that Jeff Carter didn't pan out for him. Obviously that one looks really bad in hindsight too

[Locke]

It doesnt really matter anyway, that incompetent hack Howson ran that team into the ground.

[Dagger]

Originally Posted by Locke

It doesnt really matter anyway, that incompetent hack Howson ran that team into the ground.

I would love to hear how he managed that. How is it possible to have run that team into the ground when Maclean left him with NOTHING except for Rick Nash. He left them in respectable shape. Read the series below from one of the most respected and knowledgeable hockey minds on HF, who writes a detailed timeline and synopsis of Howson's reign.

http://hfboards.hockeysfuture.com/sh...1389429&page=3

[FakenHaken]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

In the end, the Blue Jackets traded:

Jakub Voracek
Sean Couturier (8th overall)
Nick Cousins (68th overall)

for

Jack Johnson
Mark Dano (27th overall)

I'm thankful this year that the gentlemen who orchestrated this is the Senior VP of Hockey Operations for the Edmonton Oilers and our President of Hockey Operations is Brian Burke. Suddenly, you feel much better about the Calgary Flames.

[Dagger]

Originally Posted by diane_phaneuf

and that's why they have a new GM

You can't fault him for making that deal. He didn't know that Carter would pout the way he did, and give noticeably less effort whilst he was there. If you were in a position like he was where you have a franchise with a reputation for losing but having the pieces to take the next step, if you can make a deal for Jeff Carter to change the perception of your team and give Rick Nash some help then you do it. Free agents of Jeff Carter's stature don't sign with the Columbus' of the world, so a trade was the only way to bring in high level talent that can step in the lineup right away.

[Sylvanfan]

I don't follow the off ice happenings in Columbus a great deal. But if they had made that deal, they likely still have Rick Nash, meaning they have a lot of money tied up on Nash, Richards, and Carter for a lot of years. Plus they would really have depleted their system to add those two. So they could have a really good top line, but nothing else to back it.

In the end they are likely better off having kept a couple of assets and eventually moving out Rick Nash. Really you could argue that they should not have made the Gaborik deal. But if they don't do that, maybe they don't sign Nate Horton?

I think in the end the Philly made out like a bandit by separating that duo to trade them or at least got a lot more assets in return whether you feel the idea to trade those two was correct or not. Teams think differently when going after a single player...in a package deal for two guys with those long contracts, I suspect the return would have been less.

[FAN]

I too think Columbus is better off not having made the trade. Mike Richards is a winner and still a very good player, but there were concerns that he couldn't get back to the 30 goal point per game #1 center he was earlier in his career and that's exactly what happened.

At the end of the day, Howson had a full 5 years to build the BlueJackets and the results weren't there. Sure the BlueJackets had a nice run last season but the team is back to treading water. It was good riddance.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by FAN

I too think Columbus is better off not having made the trade. Mike Richards is a winner and still a very good player, but there were concerns that he couldn't get back to the 30 goal point per game #1 center he was earlier in his career and that's exactly what happened.

At the end of the day, Howson had a full 5 years to build the BlueJackets and the results weren't there. Sure the BlueJackets had a nice run last season but the team is back to treading water. It was good riddance.

Richards is going through his 'Yzerman' phase where hes changing his personal game to suit his team's needs.

He probably could very easily be on Columbus and be scoring 30 goals and that team would still be treading water.

[edslunch]

This is a good illustration if the different phases of a rebuild. If Columbus had done this full deal it would have shredded their depth - they just didn't have it. LA on the other hand gave up Simmonds, Schenn, Johnson, plus for these two and went on to win the cup - they had the depth and prospects to do that