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Top 10 Best Trades in Toronto Maple Leafs History

By Stephen Nixon

TORONTO, ON - FEBRUARY 7: Ondrej Kase #25 of the Anaheim Ducks battles against Jake Muzzin #8 of the Toronto Maple Leafs during an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on February 7, 2020 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - FEBRUARY 7: Ondrej Kase #25 of the Anaheim Ducks battles against Jake Muzzin #8 of the Toronto Maple Leafs during an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on February 7, 2020 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) /
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TORONTO, ON – DECEMBER 11: Rick Vaive #22 of the Toronto Maple Leafs.(Photo by Graig Abel/Getty Images) /

#10. The Rick Vaive Trade

The Trade:

  • Toronto Maple Leafs acquire: Rick Vaive and Bill Derlago
  • Vancouver Canucks acquire: Dave “Tiger” Williams and Jerry Butler

There was almost nobody as beloved as Dave “Tiger” Williams and although it hurt the fan-base to trade him to Vancouver, the Toronto Maple Leafs got the best player in Rick Vaive.

Vaive had only played one NHL season before the Vancouver Canucks shipped him to Toronto. I know fighting and tough-guys were valued a lot more back in the day, but did Vancouver never watch Vaive play before they traded him? A few years prior in junior, Vaive had 76 goals in 68 games played in the QJMHL. Not only was he a goal-scoring machine, but had 155 points and 199 PIMs!

Not only could he score whenever he wanted, but he wasn’t afraid to drop the gloves, either.

After being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Vaive became the only player in team history to have three straight 50-goal seasons and his 54 goals scored in the 1981-82 season, still stands as the single-season record. Although many people think he’s overrated, he had seven straight seasons of 30 or more goals, which is an incredible achievement.

Although Rick Vaive is the more known player in this trade, the team also acquired Bill Derlago, who also had a great career in Toronto. During six seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Derlago scored 30 or more goals four times, including a career-high 40 tallies in the 1983-84 campaign.

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