The NHL trade deadline is a delicate dance between the needs of today vs. the wants to tomorrow.
Every season, there are teams that sacrifice the future through picks or prospects in an attempt to contend for a championship. Every season, there are teams that ship out players because of financial considerations, hoping to make the most of that monetary bind with some future assets. And then, in a few seasons, these moves are brought into focus through the glorious benefit of hindsight.
Here are the 20 most lopsided deals in the history of the NHL trade deadline.