9. Jimmy Roberts
On December 13 1971, the St. Louis Blues traded away Jim Roberts in exchange for Phil Roberto.
The younger people in the audience will be wondering who the heck these people are. They played in the 1960’s.
Jimmy Roberts was one of the cornerstone players the Blues built their franchise around. As a defender, he wasn’t flashy but he was well liked and a solid defender. You can’t ask for much more at the time.
Roberto was brought in for offense and, at first, he provided. He scored 25 points in his first half year following the trade and 42 the next season. However, injuries derailed much of the rest of his career and he petered out.
Roberts, on the other hand, remained a steady force until the 1977-78 season. He was always a good defender, but averaged point scoring in the 30’s with the Blues in a period when defensive scoring was more uncommon.
While the deal might have made sense at the time, with the team trying to add offense, it just didn’t quite work out. Roberts remained on winning teams with the Canadiens and Roberto never did anything with the Blues.
Typical.