The first attempt came in training camp last season. Coming off the summer of Ilya Kovalchuk that sent the New Jersey Devils into a salary cap emergency, Lou Lamoriello first approached his captain about the possibility of waiving his no-trade clause. Jamie Langenbrunner said no.
He'd been with the Devils for a decade and was part of their identity. He was a connection to the 2003 Stanley Cup-winning team and players like Scott Stevens and Scott Niedermayer. The timing wasn't right. His kids were settling into school and the idea of uprooting everything to start over had no appeal, so he shot down the idea.
"At that time, I decided I wanted no part of it," Langenbrunner said during a Wednesday phone conversation. "It's very difficult, but on the other hand, we all know it's a business and things change."
Trading a captain isn't easy for anybody. They're usually a player closely connected to the team, one the fans have grown to love. Often they have a close working relationship with the coach and management that is suddenly complicated when the idea of a trade is broached. That was one of the harder parts for Langenbrunner.
"It's tough being a part of something where you know you're not really wanted," He said. "As the season went on, [blocking a trade] is probably a decision I shouldn't have made."
This season, there have been more high-profile captains involved in trade speculation than in typical seasons. It's quite possible the trade deadline will see at least one high-profile captain moved.
To gain complete access to Craig Custance's blog and all of Insider's NHL content, sign up today.
- Senior NHL writer for ESPN The Magazine
- Wrote for Atlanta Journal-Constitution
- Wrote for The Sporting News
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Craig Custance
Craig Custance joined ESPN in September 2011 as an NHL reporter for ESPN the Magazine, ESPN Insider and ESPN.com. A graduate of Michigan State University, he lived for nearly a decade in Georgia working for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where he spent time covering the late Atlanta Thrashers. He was the only Thrashers beat writer to get the team to the playoffs.
From 2008-11 he was the national hockey writer for the Sporting News, writing regularly in print and online. A member of the PHWA, he's a proud voter for the major NHL awards and can occasionally defend his selections.
Like hockey, he left Atlanta to return north where he currently lives in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, with his wife Cassie and their three kids.
Follow Craig on Twitter: @CraigCustance
And fire off a few probing questions for his weekly mailbag while you're at it.
