After the trade rumors between Toronto Maple Leafs' left winger Matthew Knies and the Montreal Canadiens, here are some notable trades that involved two division rivals in recent history.
Not long ago, there were some rumblings regarding the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens potentially orchestrating a deal at the NHL trade deadline that included Leafs left winger Matthew Knies.
It caused all sorts of reactions for several reasons. One would be because of the caliber of player Knies is at the young age of 23.
The other side of this hypothetical deal that shocked the hockey world was the fact that the Canadiens and Maple Leafs have been bitter rivals since the NHL was born in 1917.
So, on that note, here are some exciting and shocking trades that involved two division rivals in recent history, in no particular order.
Brad Marchand To The Florida Panthers
It would be tough to find one hockey fan who wasn't shocked when Brad Marchand got traded from the Boston Bruins to the Florida Panthers at last year's trade deadline.
Since being drafted in 2006, Marchand had spent 16 seasons with the Bruins and was the captain of the team in his final two years.
However, when Boston found itself falling out of the playoff race, GM Don Sweeney decided to take a retool approach and sell off some veterans at the deadline. Marchand wasn't the only Bruin to go, but it was certainly the most shocking trade of the day.
What made matters worse, specifically for Bruins fans, was what the destination was for Marchand. Florida had eliminated Boston from the playoffs for two consecutive seasons before the year of the trade.
It was a tough pill to swallow for Bostonians, especially with the deal coming right under the wire of the deadline.
Mikko Rantanen To The Dallas Stars
The ball got rolling when superstar Mikko Rantanen got dealt by the Colorado Avalanche in a three-way trade with the Carolina Hurricanes and Chicago Blackhawks.
The Avalanche got star right winger Martin Necas, while Rantanen was preparing for another move following 13 appearances with the Hurricanes.
The 2025 trade deadline came around, and Rantanen was officially traded again. This time, he went to the Dallas Stars, a Stanley Cup favorite and Central Division rival to the Avalanche.
If Colorado didn't know that move was haunting at the time it happened, they sure felt it when Dallas met them in the first round of the post-season that year.
After winning a Cup with the Avs in 2022, Rantanen and Colorado were rivals now. It was a tight series between the two powerhouses, pushing it to Game 7.
The Avalanche had a 2-0 lead early in the third period of that do-or-die contest. Not long after, Rantanen introduced himself to the series, scoring a hat trick and carrying the Stars to a 4-2 win and clinching the series.
Sam Reinhart To The Florida Panthers
Another trade between two division rivals that includes the Panthers. This trade happened in July 2021, which saw center Sam Reinhart get moved from the Buffalo Sabres to Florida. In return, Buffalo received goaltender Devon Levi and a 2022 first-round pick, which became Jiri Kulich.
Following his departure from the Sabres, Reinhart became a star and a real difference-maker, much like some other players Buffalo has moved off from over the years.
At any rate, Reinhart would go on to record four consecutive 30-goal seasons, a mark he didn't hit once with Buffalo. In fact, in 2023-24, the Vancouver native registered a 57-goal and 94-point campaign, both career highs.
Not to mention, Reinhart also went on to be a key piece to Florida's back-to-back Stanley Cup championship runs.
Sam Reinhart and Brad Marchand (Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images)Alberta Rivals Swap James Neal And Milan Lucic
It isn't a trade for the ages like maybe some others on the list are. However, these are two popular players being moved between arguably the fiercest rivals in NHL history.
Ahead of the 2019-2020 campaign, the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames made a rare trade. This deal saw Milan Lucic go to Calgary, with James Neal going about 300 kilometers north to Edmonton.
The Flames also received a conditional 2020 third-round pick in the trade.
At the time, both players involved in this deal were 31 years old and had four years remaining on their contracts.
The most shocking aspect of this trade is that it was only the third trade between the Alberta rivals since the Oilers joined the NHL in 1979-80. The two teams haven't made a trade with each other since then.
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