Alexei Yashin Trade Revisited

The Hockey Writers revisits the landmark June 23, 2001, trade between the Ottawa Senators and the New York Islanders involving forward Alexei Yashin. General manager Mike Milbury acquired Yashin in exchange for defenseman Zdeno Chara, forward Bill Muckalt, and the second overall pick in the 2001 NHL Draft, which Ottawa used to select Jason Spezza. Yashin subsequently signed a 10-year contract worth nearly $64 million with the Islanders.

Andrew Forbes argues that the Senators emerged as the clear beneficiaries of the blockbuster transaction. Yashin was eventually bought out by New York in 2007 after scoring 290 points in 346 games. Meanwhile, Chara developed into a Norris Trophy contender across four seasons in Ottawa, and Spezza became the franchise's second all-time leading scorer with 687 points in 686 games.