Kicking off the lore week coverage here at Oil on Whyte, we have arguably one of the most iconic trades in Edmonton Oilers history and the NHL as a whole, at least over the past decade or so.
To set the scene, it was one of the craziest days in hockey history. Not for any overtime heroics or an epic game seven showdown but because of the off-ice moves that were being completed.
The date is June 29, 2016. Across the NHL recent James Norris Trophy winner PK Subban is reportedly being shopped around. 50-goal scorer Steven Stamkos is being courted by many teams ahead of free agency — Including his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs.
All the way in Edmonton, Alberta inside the newly built Rogers Place, Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli was trying to fill out his roster that now boasted generational talent, Connor McDavid. The Oilers were poised to make a shakeup given another disappointing season, reportedly pursuing top free agents like Milan Lucic. The team clearly had an agenda to add some grit, leadership, and defensive acumen -- All things the Oilers lacked throughout earlier stages of their rebuild.
This was a normal day at that time of year; the rumor mill was spinning, teams have plenty of irons in the fire, but nothing materializes, at least not quickly. This day, this was not the case, out of nowhere the hockey world was about to come into a frenzy and the Oilers were going to be at the center of it all.
Although not in this order; P.K. Subban is traded from the Montreal Canadiens to the Nashville Predators for Shea Weber in an enormous one-for-one swap. The sweepstakes end and Steven Stamkos decides to re-sign with the team he has called home since being selected first overall in 2008, the Tampa Bay Lightning. Of course, where do the Oilers come into play?
The day the Oilers took the hockey world by storm
It is known by many names: One for one, Hall for Larsson, or simply the Taylor Hall trade. For those that were there, you may know it from the infamous Bob McKenzie tweet:
Trade is one for one: Adam Larsson for Taylor Hall.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) June 29, 2016
This trade broke hockey twitter and the wider hockey world. The Oilers traded their former first overall pick, Taylor Hall to the New Jersey Devils for the 2011 fourth overall pick, right-handed defender Adam Larsson.
To say it was a lopsided trade would be an understatement, especially since Hall went on to win the 2018 Hart Trophy in just his second season with the Devils, amassing 39 goals and 93 points in 76 games. He was eventually traded to the Arizona Coyotes in 2019 for a haul of picks and prospects, notably Kevin Bahl and the pick that became Dawson Mercer.
He has since become a bit of a journeyman, playing for five teams since leaving New Jersey. He has landed with the Carolina Hurricanes, recently signing a multi-year extension in hopes to plant his roots in Raleigh.
Adam Larsson on the other hand, was a steady presence on the Oilers blueline for five years before being selected by the Seattle Kraken in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft. He has remained with the club since then and just re-upped for another four seasons starting this year.