Welcome to the Montreal Canadiens‘ best trades series. In this series, we at The Hockey Writers look back at the Canadiens’ trading history with every NHL team and pick what we believe to be the best transaction between them and the other 31 organizations. This article focuses on their trade history with one of their biggest rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Canadiens and Maple Leafs have a long history with each other, combining for 37 Stanley Cup Championships while meeting in the playoffs 16 times. Montreal holds the edge over Toronto, winning nine encounters, including their most recent 2021 victory in the first round. Despite the heated rivalry, the Canadiens and Maple Leafs have made 28 transactions over 95 years. While this article won’t cover their first trade, when Montreal sent cash to Toronto for forward George Patterson, we’ll focus on two occasions when the Canadiens won the trade-off.
Canadiens Take Advantage of Stellick’s Need For Toughness
During the 1988-89 season, Maple Leafs general manager Gord Stellick wanted to toughen his team up. They had failed to escape the second round in a decade, and the answer was to add some grit. When the Canadiens came calling, they offered up tough guy John Kordic, a bruising forward who knew how to fight. Just 23 years old, Kordic recorded two back-to-back seasons of over 150 penalty minutes and 31 fights. Canadiens’ GM Serge Savard added a 1989 sixth-round pick to sweeten the deal, and in return, they received forward Russ Courtnall.
Courtnall’s arrival in Montreal couldn’t have come at a better time, as his secondary scoring capabilities helped push the team to a second Stanley Cup Final berth in four years. Although they lost to the Calgary Flames, Courtnall was a success in his first year, recording 22 goals in 64 games and adding eight more in the playoffs. He remained with the Canadiens for four seasons, scoring 20 goals or more in three of them, before being traded to the Minnesota North Stars.
Related: Montreal Canadiens Trade Deadline History
Kordic gave Toronto what they needed in bruising strength, and he recorded 185 penalty minutes in his first season with the club, but it paled when compared to what Courtnall did in Montreal. The deal became one of the worst payoffs in Maple Leafs’ history, leading to Stellick’s resignation nine months later. The Maple Leafs went on to miss the playoffs in three of the following four years, while the Canadiens captured their 24th Stanley Cup in 1993, albeit without Courtnall’s presence.
How Trading Plekanec Led to Drafting Lane Hutson
Watching Lane Hutson at this year’s 2023 World Junior Summer Showcase has Canadiens fans salivating, but it may not have become a reality had it not been for the Maple Leafs. In Feb. 2018, amidst a lost season, the Canadiens traded Tomas Plekanec and Kyle Baun to Toronto for a package that included Rinat Valiev, Kerby Rychel, and a 2018 second-round pick. While underwhelming at first glance, it was the start of a five-year journey that landed Hutson at the 2022 Draft.
As the Montreal trade tree continues, Valiev and Matt Taormina were dealt to the Calgary Flames for defenseman Brett Kulak, who served Montreal well for four seasons. He was later sent packing to the Edmonton Oilers for William Lagesson, a 2022 second-round pick, and a 2024 seventh-round pick. Sure, a little luck plays a hand in this development, but Plekanec’s one year with the Maple Leafs could end up with one of Montreal’s best defensemen for many years.
Canadiens’ Best Trade With the Maple Leafs
Both trades have net positive results, as Courtnall’s eventual trade for Brian Bellows helped the Canadiens win the 1993 Stanley Cup, while Hutson projects to be the team’s equivalent to Cale Makar. Weighing past success against the potential of a brighter future, we have to tip the scale to Courtnall for Kordic. Courtnall’s time in Montreal was short-lived but resulted in glory and a parade. This may change in the next four or five years when Hutson is a member of the Canadiens and whether the team gets on track to challenge for its 25th championship.
