7 Biggest Trades in Pittsburgh Penguins History, Ranked

The Pittsburgh Penguins have a rich, winding history.

The Pens have endured dark eras, but they are one of a few teams that has enjoyed multiple golden generations since the NHL expanded in 1967. 

Trades played a huge part in building those golden generations. I counted down the seven biggest trades in the history of the Pittsburgh Penguins below.

7 Biggest Pittsburgh Penguins Trades in Team History

1. John Cullen, Jeff Parker, Zarley Zalapski for Ron Francis, Ulf Samuelsson, and Grant Jennings

This is one of the most lopsided trades in NHL history.

Ron Francis was the all-time leading scorer in the history of the Hartford Whalers at the time of the deal, but he was a pending free agent and had a rocky relationship with the brass in Hartford.

The Penguins took full advantage, acquiring Francis for what was then considered a decent haul.

But it became clear quickly that the Penguins not only won this trade, but were on the verge of becoming a behemoth in the Eastern Conference.

The Penguins won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1991 and 1992 with Francis serving as a perfect complement to Mario Lemieux.

With Francis, Lemieux, and Jaromir Jagr leading the way, it’s no surprise the Penguins of the early 1990s were always considered a favourite to win the Stanley Cup according to the NHL odds. 

2. Jaromir Jagr and Frantisek Kucera for Kris Beech, Ross Lupaschuk, Michal Sivek, and Future Considerations

The Penguins and Jagr were a match made in heaven. The Penguins won two Stanley Cups with the Czech winger playing alongside Lemieux, and he won the Art Ross Trophy five times.

But the marriage turned sour towards the end of the 2000-2001 season, as Jagr and the team were in very different places when it came time for a new contract.

Jagr was one of the best players in the NHL and was due for a massive raise, but the Penguins were struggling financially and couldn’t give Jagr what he wanted.

The problem was solved with a trade with the Washington Capitals.

The move didn’t work out for either team, as Jagr struggled in his short stint with the Caps and the Penguins spent the next few years at the bottom of the NHL.

3. Dave Hannan, Chris Joseph, Moe Mantha, and Craig Simpson for Paul Coffey, Dave Hunter, and Wayne Van Dorp

The Penguins had the foundation in place to become a contender with Mario Lemieux, but they needed to build around “Le Magnifique.” 

The trade for Paul Coffey, one of the greatest offensive defencemen in the history of the NHL, in 1987 was a massive part of doing just that.

Coffey had two 100-point seasons for Pittsburgh and helped the Penguins capture their first Stanley Cup in 1991.

4. Scott Harrington, Kasperi Kapanen, Nick Spaling, a First-Round Pick, and a Second-Round Pick for Phil Kessel, Tim Erixon, Tyler Biggs, and a Second-Round Pick

Not unlike the Coffey situation, this trade helped complete the puzzle for the Penguins. 

The Pens of the mid-2010s were an elite team and often were listed at the top of the hockey odds to win the Stanley Cup. 

But the Pens didn’t get back to the Stanley Cup Final until Kessel joined their ranks for the 2015-2016 campaign.

Kessel scored more goals in the playoffs than any other Penguin during their back-to-back championships.

5. Doug Bodger and Darrin Shannon for Tom Barrasso and a Third-Round Pick

The Pittsburgh Penguins nearly had all the pieces in place in the late 1980s, but they still needed a solution in goal. That problem was solved with this trade, which saw Tom Barrasso leave Buffalo for Pittsburgh.

Barrasso backstopped the Pens to back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1991 and 1992.

6. Ryan Whitney for Chris Kunitz and Eric Tangradi

This looked like a run-of-the-mill hockey trade when it was completed in 2009, but it now is considered one of the best deals in the history of the Penguins. 

After losing to the Detroit Red Wings in the 2008 Stanley Cup Final, the Penguins loaded up for another run and acquired Chris Kunitz from the Anaheim Ducks before the deadline.

Kunitz was considered a serviceable winger already, but he became something much more for the Penguins.

Kunitz was a terrific complement to Sidney Crosby, and played a huge part in helping the Crosby-led Penguins capture three Stanley Cups.

7. Chris Dahlquist and Jim Johnson for Larry Murphy and Peter Taglianetti

The Penguins of the early 1990s had so much star power, so it’s easy to overlook Larry Murphy’s contributions to the cause.

The offensive defenceman hit the 20-goal mark twice during his Penguins tenure and won the Stanley Cup in 1991 and 1992.