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St. Louis Blues: Top 10 Moves We Wish Were April Fools’ Jokes

By Todd Panula

2004 Season: St. Louis coach Mike Keenan and his new superstar Wayne Gretzky share a laugh at press conference that welcomed Gretzky to St. Louis And Player Wayne Gretzky. (Photo by Michael Desjardins/Getty Images)
2004 Season: St. Louis coach Mike Keenan and his new superstar Wayne Gretzky share a laugh at press conference that welcomed Gretzky to St. Louis And Player Wayne Gretzky. (Photo by Michael Desjardins/Getty Images) /
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St. Louis Blues
4 Nov 1998: Leftwinger Geoff Courtnall #14 of the St. Louis Blues in action against leftwinger Stu Grimson #32 of the Anaheim Might Ducks during the game at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, California. The Blues defeated the Mighty Ducks 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Elsa Hasch /Allsport /

4.  Courtnall and Ronning

Right before the deadline, on March 5, 1991, the Blues got Garth Butcher and Dan Quinn for Geoff Courtnall, Ron Dirk, Sergio Momesso and Cliff Ronning as well as 1992 5th rounder.

Some people will wonder why this one gets ranked higher than Gilmour or Mullen.  Well, I’ll say it doesn’t have much to do with the fact that Quinn got sent packing almost immediately after.

It has to do with this trade setting up the backbone of the team that made it all the way to the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals.  Courtnall had 26 goals and 70 points in 1993-94 and had an amazing 19 points during the Vancouver Canucks playoff run.

Ronning had 25 goals and 68 points in the regular season, coupled with 15 during the charge to the finals.  Momesso had a quiet regular season but had 7 points in the playoffs

To add insult to injury, the Canucks team eliminated the Blues in the 1994 playoffs.  The Blues had a very talented roster with names like Brett Hull, Brendan Shanahan, Craig Janney, Jeff Brown, Steve Duchesne and Phil Housley.  Unfortunately, three of the players they dealt away were big keys to why the Blues lost.

Further pouring salt in that wound, that trade was a gigantic reason the Blues crashed and burned in the 1991 playoffs.  Maybe they wouldn’t have won since Minnesota was really good and went to the Cup final.

Even so, they completely screwed up any team chemistry that had going at that point.  Even if you consider some of those guys third and fourth line players, you are taking five guys and jettisoning them from your roster.

Butcher became a fan favorite and the Blues would get Courtnall back later on, but this trade really was disastrous.

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