Islanders grading Travis Green trade that happened 23 years ago today

It was 23 years ago today that the New York Islanders made a six-player trade with the then Mighty Ducks of Anaheim as Mike Milbury shook up his lineup and delt one of two players that held out almost two years prior.

Center Travis Green was sent to the Ducks along with Doug Houda and Tony Tuzzolino and got three players in return. The Isles would get veteran defenseman J-J Daigneault, Mark Janssens, and Joe Sacco. The Isles didn’t get the center Milbury wanted in return for Greene but would do so a few days later when they acquired Trevor Linden

Looking back on the Green trade, did the Islanders do well or not?

Grading New York Islanders trade with Anaheim Ducks

On the surface giving up a second-line center while getting seemingly nothing in return is already not a good look. The combination of Daigneault, Janssens, and Sacco would play 128 games and score 15 points for the Islanders.

Comparatively the trio of Green, Houda, Touzzolino played 133 games and score 51 points. Greene getting the majority of that with 108 games and 48 points.

So on the surface, it doesn’t seem like the Islanders lost as badly as you’d imagine. Just think of trading Brock Nelson and getting Jason Demers in return. You’d imagine the Islanders to lose that trade badly, no?

But Green never hit the highs he had with the Islanders. His best season in Southern California was 30 points in 98-99. At least the Ducks could use Green to trade for defenseman Oleg Tverdovsky though.

Neither of the pieces acquired by the Islanders would have much of an impact nor would they eventually get one in return. Daigneault would leave at the end of the season (playing 18 games) and Janssens would be moved weeks later for a ninth-round pick in 98 (Jason Doyle). While Joe Sacco would play most of the next season before eventually leaving for the Capitals.

Grade: B-

The Islanders didn’t lose this trade per se. It seems they delt Green at the right time. He was never that 70 point player he was in 1995-96 but it’s not like the pieces they got in return translated into anything of substance either. Again, they lost two-thirds of the pieces they picked up within weeks. And the one they did keep left pretty quickly as well after producing very little.

So did they do well? Not really no they didn’t.