Today in Colorado Avalanche History

by David Driscoll-Carignan on Nov 3, 2009 5:46 AM MST in Today In Colorado Avalanche History

November 3rd, 1999 - Claude Lemieux was traded to the New Jersey Devils. The Avalanche sent Lemieux, a 1st round pick (David Hale) and a 2nd round pick (Matt DeMarchi) to the Devils for Brian Rolston and a 1st round pick (Martin Samuelsson). Lemieux was just 13 games into his 5th season with the Avalanche.

Rolston would not spend much time in Denver. He and that first round pick (and Martin Grenier and Sammy Pahlsson) were traded to Boston just 4 months later for Ray Bourque and Dave Andreychuk.

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as much as I

loved claude lemieux, ray bourque will always be greater, and that andreychuk fellow wasnt half bad

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by DESTROYER on Nov 3, 2009 6:08 AM MST reply actions

Why are you comparing Borque to Lemieux? I don’t get it…

All at once, the clouds are parted
Light streams down in bright unbroken beams...

by Pinchy The Lobster on Nov 3, 2009 4:49 PM MST up reply actions

I believe it’s some kind of satanic comment about trading lemieux for someone who was then traded to get Bourque and saying that it was a good trade because Bourque is better than Lemieux.

The Savage has spoken. Let it be done

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less travelled by, and that has made all the difference"
R. Frost

by Savage33 on Nov 5, 2009 2:22 AM MST up reply actions

It just goes to show November isn’t too early to start trading to improve the team.

Maybe Stazzer for some ducttape, to stop the wheels from comming off.

26 Card Jet

by Tommelot on Nov 3, 2009 6:19 AM MST reply actions

We’ll need Loctite for them wheels.

The Savage has spoken. Let it be done

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less travelled by, and that has made all the difference"
R. Frost

by Savage33 on Nov 5, 2009 2:23 AM MST up reply actions

Jesus

I was a little too young to care about farm systems and younger player’s potential. Was Rolston really thought of THAT highly??

I thought you knew that algebra was all razzamatazz. A Globetrotter always saves the good algebra for the final minutes.

by A.J. Haefele on Nov 3, 2009 8:03 AM MST reply actions

He was a great faceoff guy.

Mile High Mayhem just another ho-hum Avs blog.

by InfamousM on Nov 3, 2009 8:04 AM MST up reply actions

Looking at that deal

on it’s own and not as part of the package down the road with Boston, Rolston must have been thought of really highly. Not to say he hasn’t had a solid career, but yikes. Maybe it’s just looking so lopsided because I’m looking at the deal through the eyes of today’s NHL landscape where draft picks are valued a lot more.

I thought you knew that algebra was all razzamatazz. A Globetrotter always saves the good algebra for the final minutes.

by A.J. Haefele on Nov 3, 2009 8:08 AM MST up reply actions

Lemieux had 51 points the prev year, Rolston had 57. but Lemieux was older and declining, Rolston was still on his way up (57 was a career high at the time)

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by David Driscoll-Carignan on Nov 3, 2009 8:27 AM MST up reply actions

You guys are also forgetting that he was a pretty bad dude on the PK as well. probably one of the best defensive forwards in the game at one time.

Mile High Mayhem just another ho-hum Avs blog.

by InfamousM on Nov 3, 2009 8:29 AM MST up reply actions

He had four 30+ goal seasons for the Bruins and Wild.

by Inebriated Simian Miscreants on Nov 3, 2009 11:21 AM MST up reply actions

without a question, but he’s a great defensive forward.

Mile High Mayhem just another ho-hum Avs blog.

by InfamousM on Nov 3, 2009 4:01 PM MST up reply actions

Yeah.

I didn’t look up the numbers, but it Claude still had to have some value. A top 6 forward, albeit declining, and two premium draft choices for a guy with top 6 potential and a first rounder. I dunno. Maybe it isn’t SO bad.

I thought you knew that algebra was all razzamatazz. A Globetrotter always saves the good algebra for the final minutes.

by A.J. Haefele on Nov 3, 2009 8:44 AM MST up reply actions

Claude was badass.

Fact.

Joe Sakic.

by BraxtanFILM on Nov 3, 2009 5:21 PM MST reply actions

We made the best of it

Parlaying Rolston as the biggest asset in the Bourque trade was another masterstroke by Pierre. The Bruins never got the best out of Pahlsson, who’s had more of an impact the past 3-4 years than Rolston has (maybe you disagree, but I think he should have won the Conn Smythe trophy the year the Ducks won the Cup).

One thing that’s pretty indisputable is that both Pierre and Lou didn’t do a whole hell of a lot with those high draft picks. Maybe they share the same brain – wasn’t Scott Parker a Devils 1st-rounder before the Avs grabbed him?

by Dan Winkler on Nov 3, 2009 9:37 PM MST reply actions