New Jersey Devils fans loved Scott Niedermayer, but did you know they have the Toronto Maple Leafs to thank for the chance to draft him with the fourth overall pick in the 1991 NHL Draft?
Yes, that’s right, in October 1991, the Devils and Maple Leafs struck a deal to send Tom Kurvers to Toronto in exchange for their first-round pick in the 1991 draft.
THE #NJDevils acquired the Toronto Maple Leafs’ 1st round pick in the 1991 draft on October 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 and experienced defenseman who had already demonstrated his skills with teams such as the Montreal Canadiens and Minnesota North Stars. However, most would argue that it wasn’t worth giving up a first-round pick to acquire him.
The Devils received a first-round pick, and since it was early in the season, no one knew where it would end up in the draft. Regardless, they added another first-round pick to get another shot at a high-end prospect.
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The Maple Leafs started the season 1-9-1, and their GM at the time, Floyd Smith, panicked to try to help the team. They would end up finishing the season 30-43-7 (ties) for 67 points, fourth worst in the NHL.
This pretty much solidified that the Devils would draft an elite NHL prospect. In a draft that featured Eric Lindros, Peter Forsberg, Markus Naslund and Brain Rolston as top names, New Jersey entered the draft with the third and 11th overall picks in the first round.
In the third pick, they chose Niedermayer, and in the 11th pick, Rolston. Both would become impact players for the Devils in the future, but the one that stands out the most is Niedermayer.
A highly touted defenseman for the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers quickly lived up to his hype as a top prospect in the draft. He played an important role on the team during the 1990s and early 2000s.
It is one of the most iconic goals in the #NJDevils history and took place in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final on June 20, 1995. Scott Niedermayer’s tally tied the game at 2. The Devils won 4–2, taking 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 top defenseman in 2004. In 1,263 games played, Niedermayer scored 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 two seasons, appearing in 89 games and scoring 15 goals, 40 assists and 55 points. He was later traded to the Vancouver Canucks for Brian Bradley, who was later drafted 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 work by GM Lou Lamoriello.
