The NHL's Most Lopsided Trade Deadline Deals

Trade deadline day is upon us, and general managers around the league are doing their best to swindle each other out of their sweet, sweet assets.

Often deadline-day deals turn out great for both sides, like the Dino Ciccarelli for Mike Gartner trade in 1989 which saw two future Hall of Famers switch clubs. On occasion, though, we're treated to a nice Marian Gaborik for Matt Frattin dumpster-fire-type-of-swap, and that's where the real fun is.

The potential one-sided crushing of a team's GM at the hand of another is (in my twisted mind, at least) always the most intriguing storyline of the day, so here's some of the most larcenous NHL deadline-day deals to distract you from all the trades that probably won't be happening.

After nearing two polarizing campaigns in Toronto, and a whole lot of undeserved booing, Murphy was shipped to Detroit where he played a crucial role in the Wings' back-to-back Stanley Cup victories. The three-time All-Star led all Red Wings defencemen with 11 points in the 1997 playoffs, and followed that up by playing in all 82 games in 1997-98 as the Hall of Famer captured his third career Stanley Cup.

Murphy currently sits fourth all-time in assists among defencemen (929) and sits fifth among blueliners with 1216 career points. What did the Leafs get in return, you may ask? Nothing. They got nothing. Well, future considerations, which The Hockey News says turned out to be Detroit picking up part of his salary and allegedly sending Toronto GM Cliff Fletcher a bottle of wine. Doh!

The Vancouver Canucks picked up their future captain and one of the greatest players in franchise history when they stole Naslund from the Pittsburgh Penguins at the 1996 deadline. Naslund went on to post 756 points in 12 seasons with the Canucks while captaining the team for eight of them, and eventually had his No.19 retired to the rafters in Van City.

Stojanov, who was sent the other way in the deal, scored only seven points including two goals in 107 NHL games, and ended his career with the New Mexico Scorpions of the CHL in 2002.

At the 1991 deadline, the Penguins acquired Ron Francis, Ulf Samuelsson, and Grant Jennings from Hartford in a deal that wouldn't take long to pay dividends for the Pens. Samuelsson scored the Stanley Cup-winning goal in '91 and Francis did the same in '92. Francis went on to be inducted into the Hall of Fame and sits only behind Wayne Gretzky for second all-time in assists with 1249 career helpers. He also sits fifth on the all-time points list.

On the other end of the deal, Cullen had a productive 10-year career, while Zarley Zalapski remains one of the all-time great names in league history.

Though Calgary went on to win the Stanley Cup in 1989, one season after dealing Hull, the name power and the fact that Hull became one of the best goal scorers in NHL history made this one for the books. After the deadline deal, Hull would spend 11 sensational seasons in St. Louis, becoming the Blues' all-time leader in goals (527) and ranking second in points with 936.

The eight-time All-Star finished his career with two Stanley Cups (one each in Dallas and Detroit), a Hart Trophy, and ranks fourth all time with 741 career goals.

He's not a Hall of Famer and doesn't have his number retired, but Forsberg, who was only 18 at the time of the deal, has already been an All-Star and, now at the tender age of 22, leads the Preds in goals this season with 24 and is still a couple years away from peaking. Nashville got him for Martin Erat and Michael Latta.

Erat managed just two goals and 27 points in Washington before he was on the move again, and is now toiling around in Europe. Latta, meanwhile, has put up just 17 points in 113 NHL games while spending a good chunk of his career in the American Hockey League.