New Jersey Devils fans loved Scott Niedermayer, but did you know they have to thank the Toronto Maple Leafs for the chance to draft him with the fourth overall pick in the 1991 NHL Draft?
Yes, that’s right, in October of 1991, the Devils and Maple Leafs pulled off a deal to send Tom Kurvers to Toronto in exchange for their 1991 first-round draft pick.
The #NJDevils acquired the Toronto Maple Leafs’ 1st-round pick in the 1991 Draft on Oct. 16, 1989, in exchange for defenseman Tom Kurvers. The Devils used the pick—3rd overall—to select Scott Niedermayer.
pic.twitter.com/yGhf5yCP9h— New Jersey Devils History (@DevilsOfYore) October 19, 2023
Tom Kurvers was a solid, experienced defenseman who had previously demonstrated his skills with teams like the Montreal Canadiens and the Minnesota North Stars. However, most would argue it was not worth giving up the first-round pick to acquire him.
The Devils were gifted a first-round pick, and since it was the start of the season, no one knew where it would land in the draft. Regardless, they added another first-round pick to have another chance at a top-end prospect.
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The Maple Leafs started the season 1-9-1, and their GM at the time, Floyd Smith, made a panic move to attempt to help the team. They would end up finishing the season with a 30-43-7 (ties) for 67 points, which was the fourth worst in the NHL.
This all but solidified that the Devils were going to have their pick at an elite NHL prospect. In a draft that saw Eric Lindros, Peter Forsberg, Markus Naslund, and Brain Rolston as top-end names, New Jersey went into the draft with the third and 11th overall picks in the first round.
With the third pick, they selected Niedermayer, and with the 11th pick, they selected Rolston. Both would become impact players for the Devils down the road, but the one that stands out the most is Niedermayer.
A highly touted defenseman from the Kamloops Blazers of the WHL quickly lived up to his hype as one of the top prospects in the draft. He played a huge role on the team throughout the 1990s and early 2000s.
It’s one of the most iconic goals in #NJDevils history & it happened in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final on June 20, 1995. Scott Niedermayer’s tally tied the game at 2. The Devils went on to win, 4-2, to take a 2-0 series lead over Detroit.
pic.twitter.com/yGhf5yDmYP— New Jersey Devils History (@DevilsOfYore) June 23, 2024
During that time he contributed to three Stanley Cup championships (1995, 2000, 2003) and won the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s best defenseman in 2004. In 1,263 games played, Niedermayer had 172 goals and 568 assists for 740 points and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2013.
As for Kurvers and the Maple Leafs, he played parts of two seasons, appearing in 89 games and recording 15 goals, 40 assists, and 55 points. He was later traded to the Vancouver Canucks for Brian Bradley, who was later picked by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 1992 expansion draft.
So to recap, the Devils traded Kurvers for a first-round pick in 1991, who later turned out to be Niedermayer, and two years later the Maple Leafs had nothing to show for it. This was a masterful piece of work by GM Lou Lamoriello.
