Devellano wanted Bourque w/ Lidstrom on the Blue Line...

[RyanBarnes! 293]

Why did Primeau wanted out of detroit so badly? anyone knows?

Primeau didn't want to be stuck behind Yzerman and Fedorov in the center depth chart.

[Guest Shoreline]

Why did Primeau wanted out of detroit so badly? anyone knows?

God I miss pre-salary cap nhl where big trades could happen and you didn't have to bother about money, it was just getting guys all the time no questions asked...

1) He was a prick. Sorry, no love for Fedorov, and no love for Primeau. I don't like self-centered, money grubbing whiners, and I believe Primeau was a hold out because he wanted more money, which is something Feds pulled too more than once. At very least, though, Primeau's trade directly helped this team win a cup, and his asshattery resulted in him never winning a cup. A fitting end.

2) I don't miss the pre-cap days as far as salary is concerned. While I have no love for Gary Doucheman's mad obsession with keeping non-viable hockey clubs in markets they won't ever logically flourish in for any respectable period, the real help the cap provided was to viable smaller market teams that could sell tickets but just didn't have the revenue powerhouse teams like Wings or Rangers or Leafs did to keep up on spending. Having the cap and being able to keep star players helped a lot. For instance, I haven't heard a peep since post-lockout about Edmonton's financial trouble. The Ottawa situation seems settled as well. I don't think today many people understood the financial dire straights NHL clubs were going into at the time the lockout was imposed. Without a doubt if the trend had continued to this day we'd probably have lost like half the NHL due to teams folding.. by this season.

Edit: Oh, right, about the OP, I could see Bourque fitting in this system, but just like I could see Sakic or Forsberg fitting in this system, there's other elements that made him choose Colorado. It's that reason I'm glad he made his choice and I'm glad our team made theirs.

Edited November 9, 2010 by Shoreline

[Doc Holliday 1,888]

Edit: Oh, right, about the OP, I could see Bourque fitting in this system, but just like I could see Sakic or Forsberg fitting in this system, there's other elements that made him choose Colorado. It's that reason I'm glad he made his choice and I'm glad our team made theirs.

If you are implying Bourque chose to go to Colorado, he was traded.

His GM insisted it was the best choice for him to win a cup.

[achildr1 255]

It took Brian Rolston, Sami Pahlsson, Martin Grenier, and the Avs 2000 1st round pick to land Bourque.

I took a minute to consider it and came up with what our deal might have been comparing similar players:

Martin Lapointe

Kris Draper

Maxim Kuznetsov

2000 1st round pick (Kronwall)

*btw, we traded our '99 and '01 picks for Chelios

That's not even considering that the Bruins may have asked for more from us because of the owner fued. I think that's an extremely hefty price. Considering we won in '02 anyway and some of those pieces helped in '08, it probably was better we didn't go that route.

[VM1138 1,921]

It took Brian Rolston, Sami Pahlsson, Martin Grenier, and the Avs 2000 1st round pick to land Bourque.

I took a minute to consider it and came up with what our deal might have been comparing similar players:

Martin Lapointe

Kris Draper

Maxim Kuznetsov

2000 1st round pick (Kronwall)

*btw, we traded our '99 and '01 picks for Chelios

That's not even considering that the Bruins may have asked for more from us because of the owner fued. I think that's an extremely hefty price. Considering we won in '02 anyway and some of those pieces helped in '08, it probably was better we didn't go that route.

Let's say that those players would have been the ones traded, I'm glad we didn't lose them. Bourque was nearing the end of his career, and we would have lost Draper (critical for our Cup runs in the 2000s) and of course Kronwall. I would have loved to have Bourque here, but hindsight is 20/20 and I'm glad it didn't happen.

[Guest Hatethedrake!]

If I recall it correctly, the Bruins wanted Jiri Fischer in any potential trade for Bourque. The Wings wouldn't do it. Detroit was on Bourque's list of teams along with Philly and Colorado to be traded to. Boston chose Colorado and the rest is history. As for Roy, Bowman admitted years later that he wished he had traded for him. Woulda, coulda, shoulda. The Shanny trade was the final piece we needed. IMO, we don't win any of those Cups if the Shanny trade had not happened. Primeau did not want to play wing. He was jealous of being in Yzerman and Fedorov's shadow and was even more pissed when Larionov was brought here. My best memory of Primeau was when he was a Flyer in their playoff run in 2004. He was the best player in the playoffs that year and played like a man possessed. I wish he has played like that for us when we had him. He never would have been traded.

Edited November 9, 2010 by Hatethedrake!

[Travis 576]

If I recall it correctly, the Bruins wanted Jiri Fischer in any potential trade for Bourque. The Wings wouldn't do it. Detroit was on Bourque's list of teams along with Philly and Colorado to be traded to. Boston chose Colorado and the rest is history. As for Roy, Bowman admitted years later that he wished he had traded for him. Woulda, coulda, shoulda. The Shanny trade was the final piece we needed. IMO, we don't win any of those Cups if the Shanny trade had not happened. Primeau did not want to play wing. He was jealous of being in Yzerman and Fedorov's shadow and was even more pissed when Larionov was brought here. My best memory of Primeau was when he was a Flyer in their playoff run in 2004. He was the best player in the playoffs that year and played like a man possessed. I wish he has played like that for us when we had him. He never would have been traded.

Yeah, no one can argue the fact that Shanny was the final piece to the puzzle. I remember, even at a young age, realizing that Primeau was a ******. Like I've said before, I also harbored resentment towards him because Paul Coffey was my favorite Wing at the time and I blamed Primeau for his exit. Having said that, I've long since forgiven Primeau because he's floundered in douchiness and that trade brought to Detroit my favorite Red Wing of all time.

On the subject of the Bourque trade, I'm glad we didn't do it. It would've been cool at the time, but losing Draper and what turned out to be Kronwall for it wouldn't have been worth the one night stand. We lost to the Kings in the 1st round of the '01 playoffs, does the addition of Bourque honestly get us any further?

[Guest mindfly]

lol primeau vs probert in wings practice

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AO-QR5V9DkA

[Guest Hatethedrake!]

Yeah, no one can argue the fact that Shanny was the final piece to the puzzle. I remember, even at a young age, realizing that Primeau was a ******. Like I've said before, I also harbored resentment towards him because Paul Coffey was my favorite Wing at the time and I blamed Primeau for his exit. Having said that, I've long since forgiven Primeau because he's floundered in douchiness and that trade brought to Detroit my favorite Red Wing of all time.

On the subject of the Bourque trade, I'm glad we didn't do it. It would've been cool at the time, but losing Draper and what turned out to be Kronwall for it wouldn't have been worth the one night stand. We lost to the Kings in the 1st round of the '01 playoffs, does the addition of Bourque honestly get us any further?

Well in 2001 we smoked the Kings in Games 1 and 2. But Yzerman went down and then we lost Shanny. Feds did not step up like we need him to. Plus Marty Lapointe took some dumb penalties and Osgood stunk and well LA just carried the momentum and we couldn't seem to stop it. Bourque may have helped in 2000 when we were rumoured to be after him. I don't know. Things worked out well the way they did. Bourque didn't win his Cup with the Avs until Blake came the next season. It still makes me laugh that Colorado retired Bourque's jersey.

Edited November 9, 2010 by Hatethedrake!

[selkie 10]

Big Keith Primeau's lackluster play and lack of effort was definitely noticed by the fans. He was actually more of a fan whipping boy than several of the goalie du jours of the early 90s, and it's actually kind of impressive when a guy manages to be more hated than Bobbin' Bob Essensa for his quality of play.

[xtrememachine1 795]

Anyone know what Jimmy meant with Roy? Was he almost a Red Wing.

If I remember correctly, it was Detroit, Colorado and Vancouver in the running for Roy. To this day, I still hate the fact that we didn't get Roy. If the Nordiques had stayed in Quebec for just one more year, we most likely would have gotten him (no way does Montreal trade him to their division rivals) and probably won at least one more Stanley Cup, if not a dynasty.

[Original-Six 254]

No matter how hard i try i cant picture Roy in the whinged wheel. Considering what unfolded as we know it now, the idea of him playing in Detroit is laughable but do doubt the Wings would of been ungodly. Without a doubt a dynasty in the 90s, assuming we get him for a bag of pucks like Colorado did.

[RyanBarnes! 293]

1) He was a prick. Sorry, no love for Fedorov, and no love for Primeau. I don't like self-centered, money grubbing whiners, and I believe Primeau was a hold out because he wanted more money, which is something Feds pulled too more than once. At very least, though, Primeau's trade directly helped this team win a cup, and his asshattery resulted in him never winning a cup. A fitting end.

I don't remember money being a part of Primeau departure at all. It was about ice time. Hence the comment "big fish in small pond" by Jimmy D posted earlier.

[Travis 576]

If I remember correctly, it was Detroit, Colorado and Vancouver in the running for Roy. To this day, I still hate the fact that we didn't get Roy. If the Nordiques had stayed in Quebec for just one more year, we most likely would have gotten him (no way does Montreal trade him to their division rivals) and probably won at least one more Stanley Cup, if not a dynasty.

No matter how hard i try i cant picture Roy in the whinged wheel. Considering what unfolded as we know it now, the idea of him playing in Detroit is laughable but do doubt the Wings would of been ungodly. Without a doubt a dynasty in the 90s, assuming we get him for a bag of pucks like Colorado did.

Yeah, I would have probably loved it at the time - and obviously wouldn't have all the ill-will I do towards Roy without him being an Av, but the stories you hear about him seem to indicate that he wouldn't have made a good Red Wing.

Actually, what I meant to say was - f*** that guy.

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

Man, I think it's interesting just how much respect Illitch has for the people around him. Some owners would have told him that their word was final.

Agreed. Seems like Ilitch is smart enough to know what he doesn't know. So he surrounds himself with people who do and can overlook his ego to trust their opinions.

As for Bourque, that would've been crazy. Then maybe they could've settled once and for all who's higher on the all-time list.