Revisiting the Demons Acquiring Dougie Gilmour from the Maple Leafs

In February 1997, the Toronto Maple Leafs traded one of the most beloved players in franchise history to the New Jersey Devils.

Doug ‘Killer’ Gilmour’s time in Toronto had come to an end, and that meant a new beginning in New Jersey.

Maple Leafs GM Cliff Fletcher traded Gilmour and Dave Ellett and a 1999 third-round pick (Andre Lakos) in exchange for Steve Sullivan, Jason Smith and the rights to prospect Alyn McCauley.

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The Devils were one of the most dominant teams from 1995 to 2005, so seeing them get a deal of this magnitude isn’t surprising. His GM at the time, Lou Lamoriello, wanted to win and would do whatever it took.

Return of the Demons

Gilmour would play two seasons with New Jersey before joining the Chicago Blackhawks. In these two seasons, he played 83 games and scored 20 goals and 55 assists, totaling 75 points. He also played in 16 playoff games with the organization over his time, but never reached the Stanley Cup Finals.

As for Dave Ellett, he would play the remaining 20 games of the season for his new club, scoring two goals and five assists, and would appear in 10 playoff games.

Andre Lakos, the player selected in the third round, has never appeared in an NHL game.

Return of Maple Leaves

Sullivan may have been the biggest name to return to Toronto in the trade; he became a player that the fans liked. Unfortunately, he didn’t stay with the organization for long. He played four seasons with the Maple Leafs before being claimed off waivers by the Blackhawks. In 154 games, he scored 35 goals and 50 assists for 85 points.

Then Smith’s time at his new club was also short. He played three seasons with Toronto before being traded to the Edmonton Oilers for a fourth-round pick in 1999 and a second-round pick in 2000. During his time with the Maple Leafs, Smith played in 162 games and recorded five goals and 29 assists. to 34 points.

Lastly, McCauley had a lot of potential in the NHL, but unfortunately he was not utilized properly within the Maple Leafs organization. McCauley played six seasons at the club and did not have very good offensive production. In 304 games, he scored 33 goals and 40 assists for 82 points.

This trade was a byproduct of the Devils’ desire to win again after the 1995 World Cup and seeking veteran help, and the Maple Leafs rebuilding around Mats Sundin quickly. Personally, I don’t see a clear winner in this negotiation; no one really stood out on either side. That said, it was a good negotiation attempt for both organizations going in two different directions.