NHL's 2006 Better Trades

There were plenty of last-minute trades to excite the hockey fans around the country in 2006, with a flurry of activity conducted by teams seeking those better trades to push them in the playoffs or permit them to have a speedier path to recovery.

Carolina acquired forward Mark Recchi from Pittsburgh in exchange for forwards Niklas Nordgren and Krys Kolanos and a second-round pick. The better trade worked for Carolina, who was able to add another important piece of its playoff puzzle for the playoffs. Recchi had to waive a no-trade clause in his contract and accepted an option to become a free agent if his new team didn't pick up his option. Recchi was expected to replace injured forward Erik Cole, who had his 60-goal season end prematurely when he fractured a vertebrae in his neck. Recchi had 24 goals and 33 assists in 63 games with Pittsburgh. The trade was expected to help Pittsburgh its building process; the Penguins got a lot younger in the process.

Nashville traded forward Kris Beech and a first-round pick to Washington for defenseman Brenda Witt. Beech, a minor league player, and the pick was expected to strengthen the Washington rebuilding effort. Witt had made his better trades request to be sent to a Stanley Cup contender, so he got his wish in moving to a playoff team.

Boston traded forward Sergei Samsonov to Edmonton for forwards Marty Reasoner and Yan Stastny and a second-round draft pick. Samsonov, a native of Russian, joined the league when he was only 18, but was unable to help the Bruins get over the hump. Samsonov had scored 164 goals and had 212 assists in 514 games with the Bruins and had 18 goals and 19 assists when he was traded. In this better trade, Reasoner was considered to be an outstanding playmaker; he brought nine goals and 17 assists with him in the 58 games he had played with Calgary. Stastny had played the two previous seasons in Germany before joining the National Hockey League.

Minnesota played hard ball and came away with prize defensive prospect Shawn Belle and defenseman Martin Skoula from Dallas in exchange for defenseman Willie Mitchell and a second-round selection. Mitchell is a tough player, whose style fit with Minnesota, but his contract expires after the season, which made him a rental player.

Vancouver gave up a second-round pick and a prospect to acquire Eric Weinrich from the Blues. Weinrich is a two-way defenseman who is comfortable in a possession-type game.