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Top 10 Worst Trades in Toronto Maple Leafs History

By Stephen Nixon

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Andrew Raycroft makes a blocker save as Boston's Wayne Primeau looks behind him for a rebound during game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Canada on November 28, 2006. (Photo by Jay Gula/Getty Images)
Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Andrew Raycroft makes a blocker save as Boston's Wayne Primeau looks behind him for a rebound during game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Canada on November 28, 2006. (Photo by Jay Gula/Getty Images) /
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Toronto Maple Leafs
NEWARK, NJ – FEBRUARY 05: Lee Stempniak #12 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center on February 5, 2010 in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils defeated the Leafs 4-3. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /

#6. Leafs Give Up Two Studs for One Dud

The Trade:

  • Toronto Maple Leafs acquire: Lee Stempniak
  • St. Louis Blues acquire: Carlo Colaiacovo and Alexander Steen

Even at the time, this trade didn’t make a ton of sense. Sure, Stempniak had previously scored 27 goals in a season, but that was a fluke. Even a one-for-one trade for Stempniak for Steen would have been bad, but to throw in Colaiacovo as well, I couldn’t understand it.

Both Stempniak and Colaiacovo were previous first-round picks of the Toronto Maple Leafs, but the team decided they needed to acquire the one-dimensional Lee Stempniak instead. Colaiacovo may have had injury problems throughout his career, but he turned into a steady defenseman and had his best years in St. Louis.

Stempniak never scored 20 goals in the NHL again, while Steen had four 20-goal seasons, including a 33-goal campaign in 2013-14. Not only was this trade so lopsided, but Stempniak was flipped to Phoenix only two seasons after getting traded for.

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