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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 – MARCH 11: Keith Crowder #18 of the Boston Bruins skates against Jiri Crha #31, Barry Melrose #26 and Ian Turnbull #2 of the Toronto Maple Leafs . (Photo by Graig Abel/Getty Images) /

#8. Trading a Hall-of-Famer for Ian Turnbull

The trade:

  • Toronto Maple Leafs acquire: Ed Johnston and 1973 1st Round Pick (Ian Turnbull)
  • Boston Bruins acquire: Jacques Plante and 1973 3rd Round Pick (Doug Gibson)

I know that Jacques Plante is one of the greatest goalies to ever live, as he racked up seven Vezina Trophies and one Hart Trophy, but this was such a terrible trade from the Boston Bruins perspective.

Plante was 44-years-old(!!!) when the Toronto Maple Leafs traded him to Boston. Imagine this trade going down today? If a General Manager made this move today, they would immediately get fired. A first-round pick is incredibly valuable but think about how better it was back in 1973. There were only 16 teams in the NHL so you were guaranteed a great pick, even if you won the Stanley Cup.

Speaking of great players in the first round, the Toronto Maple Leafs pick they got in exchange for Plante turned into Ian Turnbull, who happens to be one of the best offensive defenseman to ever play in Toronto.

Turnbull’s 1976-77 season is still the greatest season by a defenseman in Toronto Maple Leafs history, as he finished with 22 goals and 79 points. In nine seasons, Turnbull had 55 or more points in five of those seasons, and the combination and him and Borje Salming were a force on the Leafs blue-line during the 1970s.

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