"A Trade a Day" might be a little misleading for this one because we'll be discussing three separate trades, including a three-team deal involving Los Angeles and Edmonton. The Carolina Hurricanes were stuck in a dogfight for a playoff spot at the 2009 trade deadline, sitting one point out on March 4, 2009. To try and get over the hump, they turned to an old friend.
Erik Cole had been with the organization since being drafted in 1998. He debuted in 2001 and was part of the team's successful runs in 2002 and 2006, albeit injured for most of the latter postseason. He'd been a valuable scorer for the team, tallying 129 goals and 280 points in 418 games.
As the offseason began in 2008, the team ended its decade-long relationship, sending Cole to the Edmonton Oilers for defenseman Joni Pitkanen. It was seemingly working for both sides. The Oilers were in a playoff spot at the deadline, and Cole had 16 goals and 27 points in 63 games. Instead, the Canes felt eight months apart was more than enough.
The three-team deal that really benefitted one team long-term
The trade began with the Hurricanes sending Justin Williams to the Los Angeles Kings for forward Patrick O'Sullivan and Calgary's 2nd-round pick in 2009. Then, the Canes flipped O'Sullivan, along with their 2009 2nd-rounder, to the Oilers to reacquire Cole with an added 5th-round pick that year as well.
Cole's return went fairly well. In 15 games to finish the season, Cole had two goals and 13 points as the Canes made the playoffs. However, his playoff run was disappointing, adding five assists in 18 games. Cole signed a two-year deal in the offseason to stick around. His first full season was a bust thanks to injuries (11-5-16 in 40 games), but he followed it up with 26 goals and 52 points in 2010-11.
Signing a four-year contract with Montreal in 2011, Cole scored a career-high 35 goals in 2011-12. He was promptly traded to Dallas the following season. He spent parts of three seasons with the Stars before finishing his career in Detroit after another mid-season trade. Cole signed a one-day contract to officially retire as a Hurricane in 2017.
Neither pick that the Hurricanes acquired in the trade did much for the team. The 2nd-round selection was used on Brian Dumoulin, who was in the Jordan Staal deal two years later. In the 5th round, the team selected Matt Kennedy. He was briefly with the Charlotte Checkers before being dealt to the Ducks in 2010 for Ryan Carter.
Patrick O'Sullivan had six points in 19 games to finish 2009. O'Sullivan added 11 goals and 34 points for the Oilers the following season. He signed with the Canes as a free agent in 2010, but was waived and claimed by the Wild two months later after just one goal in 10 games. With their pick in 2009, they selected defenseman Jesse Blacker, who never played in the NHL for Edmonton.
It's a tad ironic that the trade that won the trade was the only one that didn't make the postseason in 2009. The Kings finished near the bottom of the Western Conference, but adding Justin Williams was a big deal. He started slowly, finishing the 2008-09 season with four points in 12 games and 29 points in 49 games the season after.
Williams turned it around with back-to-back seasons with 57 and 59 points. He added 15 points in 20 postseason games during the latter campaign in 2012 to capture his second Stanley Cup. Two seasons later, Williams earned his third ring and won the Conn Smythe in the process with 25 points in 26 games. He finished his time in Los Angeles with 266 points in 427 games.
Everything came full circle for Williams and the Hurricanes. After two seasons in Washington, Williams returned to Raleigh in 2017 to play his final three seasons with the good guys. He became the team's captain in 2018, leading the team back to the playoffs. He's a Hurricanes Hall of Famer and remains a very important part of the organization.
While the result for the Hurricanes might not have been terrible, they clearly earned the silver medal in this trade. Getting Cole back, especially after the trade to Edmonton yielded a positive return, helped the 2009 team, while Williams' legend grew during his time in Hollywood. It's hard to be disappointed by the outcome.