Summer Boredom: What If Mark Messier Was Traded to the Devils in 2000?

[RichieNextel305]

The off-season has reached the point of being in full swing. All is quiet in Rangersland, and likely will remain that way until Training Camp.

 

So, with that being said, trying to come up with certain posts to keep some of us occupied and keep some form of Ranger chatter going. Because why the fuck not? 

 

As some of you may remember, back around the 2000 trade deadline, the Devils were in need of some help in their middle-6. There were rumors of them being involved with Ottawa about Alexei Yashin, but those went no where. That would have been a truly monster trade, as Yashin was obviously in the midst of his prime. And was wasting a little bit of it in a nasty holdout.

 

So, an obvious target for the Devils ended up actually being Messier. He was in his walk year, Vancouver was having a better season than in years past with him there, but still were facing an up-hill battle to make the playoffs. Messier seemed like a likely candidate to be dealt. And, as you can see here, the Devils seemed to be the most likely landing spot for the man who killed 1940 once and for all.

Here are some of the snippets from an article in 2000:

 

Quote

 

The Devils should be a tough ticket at the Meadowlands the rest of the way, straight into June. The next time they play at home, sources say Mark Messier will be among them.

 

Sources say that Denis Pederson will likely be one player headed to Vancouver, with Brendan Morrison another possibility. It is believed that a draft pick will figure in the deal, likely a second-rounder, although the Canucks are said to be asking for a first.

“He wants to come to New Jersey and they want him,” one source said.

 

Messier has a no-trade clause in his complex contract, but sources say New Jersey is where he wants to go.

 

https://nypost.com/2000/02/28/devils-close-in-on-messier-deal/
 

As we all know, the Devils went on to win the Cup in 2000. They were fully in the midst of their own mini “dynasty” as they went on to go to 3 Finals in 4 years, winning 2 of them. And had this trade gone down, it’s entirely possible that we would have had to cringe at the vision of Mark Messier, Ranger legend, Captain, Face of the Franchise, Savior, lift up the Cup in a Devils uniform and celebrate with the likes of Martin Brodeur, Scott Stevens, Ken Daneyko, Scott Niedermeyer. A weird idea.

 

So my question is this: a lot of people blamed the Rangers when Messier left in 1997. Some sided with the Rangers, but most sided with Messier. If this had actually happened, and lets pretend that Messier not only won in New Jersey but never ended up back with the Rangers to finish up (hell, maybe he ends up re-signing in NJ and is there for another Cup in 2003), how would this near-deal have effected his legacy and his standing in the hearts of Ranger fans?

 

Would it have not flustered you long-term at all just because he came and did his job and won a Stanley Cup here? Would it have really flooded the memories of 1994 to see the man who delivered us a Cup go and win one (2?) with our arch rival and not finish his career up with the Rangers?

 

Just a conversation starter. It’s ancient history, but man, it’s weird to envision Messier becoming a Devil. And it was a lot closer than I think some of us remember it being.

 

 

Edited August 20 by RichieNextel305

[Pete]

It might have chapped my ass at the time, but the older I got the less of a Messier fan I became. I just found out too much about him, and you also learn a little bit more about the business of the sport and realize why the Rangers didn't really want to pay him.

 

If he waived trade protection to go to New Jersey, it would have been typical for him. He loved the area, and would have taken whatever path was available to come back to the NYC metro. Really never had any loyalty to any team, was always just doing what was best for him. 

 

I also don't think he ever should have had his jersey retired by this organization, but that's a conversation for another thread. 

 

So all in all, it might have stung, but with a little time and perspective I'd have gotten over it.

Edited August 20 by Pete

[Phil]

First off, if this had happened, his jersey never gets retired.

 

Second, I definitely never would have forgiven him. Him leaving was already painful for a huge chunk of the fan base. Going to Vancouver, of all teams, was ugly, but was stomached mostly because they played out West and we didn't have to see him very often. Messier coming back East to play for their most hated rival would have been unforgivable. Cardinal sin if he won a Cup there. Seventh circle of hell if he won two.

[LindG1000]

Let's play the bounces for funsies here.

 

Mess gets dealt to the Devils. He wins the Cup with the Devils. He's dead to us. We're not burying the hatchet, we never bring him in, and we lose his 67 points and his -25 in our world-class 72 point 2000-2001 campaign. We can guess rather safely that they don't effectively replace 67 points - maybe they get half of that.

 

Losing 30 points from a top 6 C probably costs you a few wins here - let's say 6 wins. These alternate reality Rangers win 27 gasmes and put up 59 points, tied for third worst in the NHL.....

 

...and win the draft lottery for Ilya Kovalchuk.

 

So, we can concretely conclude that Mark Messier should have been dealt to the Devils, but didn't, and that cost us Ilya Kovalchuk, and doomed us to years and years of rumors about him coming here. As an added bonus, Bobby Holik gets bumped from the 2nd line and we never overpay him.

 

No more questions.

[Pete]

Also a decent chance that the Devils don't win with Messier, maybe he's the biggest distraction of all time. Maybe his high-risk/high-reward style doesn't mesh with the team's defense-first trap style.

 

I'm not at all sold that he made them better, and a decent chance he makes them worse.

[Phil]

Oh, 100%. I'm talking worst case scenario. Getting traded to the Devils because he wanted to go there (to return to NYC metro area) would already be incredibly hard to stomach. Him winning with them, even just once, would have made him persona non grata to me.

[LindG1000]

3 minutes ago, Phil said:

Oh, 100%. I'm talking worst case scenario. Getting traded to the Devils because he wanted to go there (to return to NYC metro area) would already be incredibly hard to stomach. Him winning with them, even just once, would have made him persona non grata to me.

 

1000% indisputable. Dead to me if he played for the Devils or Islanders. Piss-on-the-grave dead if he won anything.

[Sharpshooter]

I would have been disgusted, and yeah, he probably isn't invited back, no number retirement, etc. Most of the time I try not to think about that time period in general. It was the black hole of Rangers hockey.

[Sod16]

Messier left because the Rangers did not want to pay him for the player he was likely to be over the next three years as opposed to the player he had been in the past.

 

Being the cup curse slayer for the Rangers is key to the Messier Brand, which has been profitable to him in retirement.  If you watch the NHL Network, you see far more references to Messier with the Rangers in 1994 than with the Oilers from 1979 to 1991.  All that would have been tarnished had he won a cup in a Devil uniform.  It probably would have cost him some money post-career.

[H-Dreamer]

1 hour ago, Sharpshooter said:

I would have been disgusted, and yeah, he probably isn't invited back, no number retirement, etc. Most of the time I try not to think about that time period in general. It was the black hole of Rangers hockey.

I am still weirded out, that I looked at that era and decided that this was the team for me. lol

[Albatrosss]

Mess is one of the best players to ever play, arguably 2nd best ever. He would’ve made any team better. No question 

[Phil]

51 minutes ago, Albatrosss said:

Mess is one of the best players to ever play, arguably 2nd best ever. He would’ve made any team better. No question 

 

Sure, but that's not the question Richie was asking.

[Pete]

1 hour ago, Albatrosss said:

Mess is one of the best players to ever play, arguably 2nd best ever. He would’ve made any team better. No question 

You should Open a thread on it because there is no way he's the second best ever. 

 

Wayne Mario Gordie Jagr Orr

 

More of an argument that he's not even in the top five. 

 

And he certainly didn't make Vancouver better. 

[Albatrosss]

51 minutes ago, Phil said:

 

Sure, but that's not the question Richie was asking.

I was responding mostly to my new best friend Pete

[Albatrosss]

40 minutes ago, Pete said:

You should Open a thread on it because there is no way he's the second best ever. 

 

Wayne Mario Gordie Jagr Orr

 

More of an argument that he's not even in the top five. 

 

And he certainly didn't make Vancouver better. 

You personally not a fan of Mess. I can understand it. But not top 5?

[Albatrosss]

This would be a good separate thread. Mods?

[Sharpshooter]

6 hours ago, H-Dreamer said:

I am still weirded out, that I looked at that era and decided that this was the team for me. lol

I only got into them because a friend of mine was a big fan and he got me into the sport and the team. I knew they weren't good, but the Fandom stuck. lol

[Phil]

17 hours ago, Albatrosss said:

This would be a good separate thread. Mods?

 

Are your fingers broken? LOL.

[Pete]

17 hours ago, Albatrosss said:

You personally not a fan of Mess. I can understand it. But not top 5?

I listed 5 better players LOL.

[Albatrosss]

1 hour ago, Pete said:

I listed 5 better players LOL.

Gordie was not better than Mess. No way

[Albatrosss]

2 hours ago, Phil said:

 

Are your fingers broken? LOL.

No, they’re bent a little

[Pete]

2 hours ago, Albatrosss said:

Gordie was not better than Mess. No way

[Phil]

Honestly, the thought of this, and the mental picture in my head of his shit-eating grin smiling ear-to-ear, laughing, raising a Cup, but in a Devils jersey, is boiling my blood, and it's not even fucking real.

[Albatrosss]

1 hour ago, Pete said:

You’re insane

 

[RichieNextel305]

10 hours ago, Phil said:

Honestly, the thought of this, and the mental picture in my head of his shit-eating grin smiling ear-to-ear, laughing, raising a Cup, but in a Devils jersey, is boiling my blood, and it's not even fucking real.