What if...Steve Yzerman became an Ottawa Senator (read below)?

Question

Back in 1995-96, the Detroit Red Wings were well on their way towards a record setting campaign. The previous off season, Jim Devallano and company entertained the idea of trading...Steve Yzerman. There were whispers around Detroit that Yzerman couldn't lead the team to the promised land, the Stanley Cup. The Wings were by all accounts embarrassed by New Jersey in the 1995 Finals. The rumor as I remember it had Yzerman going to the Ottawa Senators for Alexei Yashin and draft picks. Then as it the story goes, Keith Primeau would have been named captain and the one-two punch of Yashin and Sergei Fedorov would have made the Wings the team to beat. Something funny happened along the way: Kris Draper was pummelled by Claude Lemieux in the 1996 Western Finals. On top of that, Primeau decided to hold out for more money. Ken Holland took over, and the rest is history.
The question here is this: what if Devallano pulled the trigger on the Yzerman trade? How would history have been altered?

The key here is "what if Devellano was bold enough to trade the one player he invested so much into?" There was a point to where it ALMOST happened. The fortunes of two franchises would have been altered forever, that's for certain.

When I was a teenager growing up in the mid 1990s, there were rumors, according to WJR at the time, of Yzerman going to the Senators. If memory serves me, it was either Rich Kincaide or the other gentleman who used to do Sports Wrap during the evening (I can't remember his name...argh!). Anyway, why it took me almost 12 years to ask this question is anyone's guess...kind of like why I never asked Amber Moses out (a pretty woman who I crushed on in high school, and who I suspected crushed on me...wait a minute)! Ah, regret! Back to the question, there are so many variables involved here, such as Brendan Shanahan, Paul Coffey, Keith Primeau, and so on. What would have happened to those guys? Imagine a Detroit Red Wings team built around...Sergei Fedorov (not ripping him, Jenni) and Alexei Yashin? Scotty Bowman may have been a murderer back then...

Like I'm Telling You...- Yikes! All I knew at that time was the trade being rumor, not being close to fact as you have pointed out. Can you imagine the Wings trying to run the table in the Western (absurd, Detroit in the West) Conference with...Damian Rhodes as the starting netminder? I wonder if they would have let Vernon go after 1997 (assuming the subsequent deals for Shanahan and the other role players are not made and the Wings didn't win the Cup)... Scary stuff indeed. Thanks for the Holland update. I couldn't remember specifically when he took over (in title) for Devellano.

Like I'm Telling You...- Knowing what we know now, the 1996 NHL Entry Draft was one of the worst in league history, with only one well-known player (Chris Phillips) being drafted out of the first four rounds...a pick Detroit sure would have made if they owned it. Also knowing what we know now, the Wings did not have a first round pick in 1997 (having sent it to Carolina in the Brendan Shanahan trade), so having Ottawa's pick that year would have been nice, considering that in that 12th spot the Sens picked...Marian Hossa. When the Wings did pick, they wasted a second round pick on Yuri Butsayev. Yes, losing Yzerman would have stunk, but having Phillips and Hossa in the line-up (and dealing with their growing pains and Yashin's refusal to grow up), giving up three championships would have still been too much to fathom.

Answer 1

Snoop, On February 26, 1996 the following trade was sent to the league offices (and to all teams)

Steve Yzerman and Chris Osgood to Ottawa
Alexei Yashin, Damian Rhodes, Ottawa's first round pick in 1996 and 1997.

Pierre Gauthier and Jimmy Devellano had agreed to the deal. Later that morning, Devellano pulled the plug.

As for 'Holland taking over'................At the time of the deal, Devellano was the Sr. VP of Hockey operations and Holland was the Asst GM, two years later Holland became the full GM, Devellano is still in the same position he was then, and still has the final say on Holland's moves.

There are other rumours that Ilitch nixed the deal because Yzerman was one of his favourites


A similar thing happened 20 years earlier. In 1976, John Ferguson (Rangers GM at the time) was unhappy with his team, and traded some draft picks for Toronto's Darryl Sittler. He arrived at a news conference with the jersey, only to find out that Ballard wanted more than draft picks. An embarrasment for all.



Snoop
There are a great many deals that get 'completed' but never get completed due to one reason of another. The Leafs obtained Kyle Wanvig from Boston several years ago.............but somewhere between the Leafs sending the fax and the league receiving it, a machine broke down and the leagye never got it. Chris Gratton/Bobby Clarke. Micheal Nylander/Kevin Lowe.
Heck, you could go all the way back to June 1992 and look at the chaos at the NHL entry draft..................Was Eric Lindros really a New York Ranger? Or did Philadelphia really win his outright? The first deal announced from the floor had the Rangers obtaining Lindros from Quebec. That deal was sorted out in court by a judge named Larry Bertuzzi (Todd's uncle)


David H
At the time this deal would have happened, Shanahan was still with the Hartford Whalers.


Snoop
Hindsight is 20/20

Answer 2

RE:
What if...Steve Yzerman became an Ottawa Senator (read below)?
Back in 1995-96, the Detroit Red Wings were well on their way towards a record setting campaign. The previous off season, Jim Devallano and company entertained the idea of trading...Steve Yzerman. There were whispers around Detroit that Yzerman couldn't lead the team to the promised land, the...

Answer 3

Then this picture that I call my avatar would have never been taken (its newer than 1996).

And, I don't think the Wings would have been the team that they were.

I also think Devallano would have been run out of Detroit by an angry mob. That trade would have been bass ackwards too, kinda like the Luongo trade.

And Yzerman would not have been "The Captain" that he was.

And maybe if he was traded, Ottawa may not be concidered playoff chokers. He might have lead them to the Promise land.

Wow, that was a lot of Ands & Also's, I guess thats what happens when one answers a "what if" question, so many things that could have happened.

Answer 4

History would have changed.

Stevie Y might not of had his jersey retired here in Detroit (probably though) and if he stayed with Ottowa, i think he would of got his jersey retired there too.

I think the Wings still wouldn't of won a cup. And there would probably be no Steve Yzerman Day in Michigan (there is). Shanahan would of left because he and Yzerman were best buds here in Detroit.

The Wings would have been the wings again. Lidstrom would of probably left to go to a championship team. And Hasek, Hull, Robitaille probably would of never signed here in 02.

Ya know that Scotty wanted to trade Yzerman too because he wasn't focusing on his defense enough. So Yzerman worked on playing defense and he finished his career in Detroit. THANK GOD!

Oops. My bad your right. The Wings got Shanahan the season after. Sorry. But I dont think we would of got him because if the Wings got red of Stevie Y, the franchise player at the time--Fedorov, Lidstrom, Primeau, and Coffey. And to get Shanahan the Wings traded Priemau and Coffey. I dont think the Wings would of traded two of there best players for Shanahan at the time, if they got rid of Yzerman.

Answer 5

Wings fan said it all. cme's speachless.
Where the hell you find this stuff? Beats answering "who's your favorite?" in its millionth form.
Stevie Y for Yashin and draft picks. Don't see a cup in it for either team if that would have went through. As it turns out, those better have been seriously good draft choices or Jimmy Devellano gets to use his old TML stock options for early retirement.
Whew, guess cme's not so speacless after all.

Answer 6

All I know is I am glad it was a rumor and that it didnt happen! I was in my early 20's during that time and I just dont remember that going on, but maybe I erased it from my memory. Well- who is to say what would have happened. I think he still would have been great- he was a fantastic hockey player and changing teams would not have changed that.

Just my opinion

Answer 7

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Answer 10

Ahhhhh, the what if game. Who knows, maybe Primeau would not have been traded for Shanahan. The Wings would not have won back to back cups and the Whale would still be in Hartford, instead of the hockey hot bed known as North Carolina.