Benefits Of Being Traded For Paul Coffey

Paul Coffey is one of just 20 players in National Hockey League history to play for nine or more teams during their career. It goes without saying that Coffey was part of a fair share of big trades, considering he was one of the best defensemen of all time.

Three players traded for Paul Coffey stand out above the rest. Each of these three saw instant success with the team that was trading Paul away. Ironically, each was a second round pick in their NHL Entry Draft. Despite his nine teams, Coffey never played with any of these three players during his National Hockey League career.

Craig Simpson

In November of 1987, Coffey was part of a multi-player trade between the Edmonton Oilers and Pittsburgh Penguins with Paul leaving the Gretzky gang. Among the players going to Edmonton was Craig Simpson. Simpson played in the NHL from 1985-86 to 1994-95 with the Penguins, Oilers and Buffalo Sabres. Originally, he was the second overall pick of the Penguins at the 1985 NHL Entry Draft.

That season, the Oilers went on to meet Boston in the Stanley Cup finals where they swept the Bruins in four games. Pittsburgh did not qualify for the post season. Simpson won another Stanley Cup with Edmonton in 1989-90. Once again, it was the Boston Bruins that fell victim to the Oilers, this time in five games.

Jimmy Carson

Fast forward to January of 1993. After being reunited with Wayne Gretzky in Los Angeles for a short time, Coffey was traded by the Kings to the Detroit Red Wings. Headed in the other direction was Jimmy Carson. Carson played in the NHL from 1986-87 to 1995-96 with the Kings, Oilers, Red Wings, Vancouver Canucks and Hartford Whalers. He had been the second overall pick at the 1986 NHL Entry Draft, going to the Kings.

In the 1992-93 season, the Steve Yzerman led Red Wings made an early first round exit from the playoffs. Jimmy Carson and the Kings moved on to the Stanley Cup finals before falling to the Montreal Canadiens in seven games.

Brendan Shanahan

In October of 1996, the Red Wings sent Paul Coffey to the Hartford Whalers. Among the players coming in the other direction was Brendan Shanahan. Shanahan played in the National Hockey League from 1987-88 to 2008-09 with the New Jersey Devils, St. Louis Blues, Whalers, Red Wings and New York Rangers. He was the second overall pick at the 1987 NHL Entry Draft, going to the Devils.

Detroit reached the Stanley Cup finals in 1996-97 and swept the Philadelphia Flyers to become champions. It was the first time the Red Wings had won the Stanley Cup since 1954-55. Hartford, however, did not qualify for post season action. But, Coffey wasn’t with the Whalers at the season’s end. Paul was traded again in December to those same Philadelphia Flyers and played in the finals against the team that he started the season with.