In the summer of 2011, the Philadelphia Flyers did the hilarious and unthinkable, trading Jeff Carter to the Blue Jackets just months after signing him to an 11-year contract extension.
That same day, they followed up by trading their then-captain Mike Richards to the LA Kings.
The Kings and Blue Jackets both struggled early in the 2011-12 season.
Unsatisified with the team's play, General Manager Dean Lombardi fired head coach Terry Murray in mid-December.
After an 11-25-5 start to the season, the Blue Jackets followed suit and fired their head coach Scott Arniel in January.
While the Kings rebounded, the Blue Jackets continued to sink in the standings.
With the trade deadline approaching, the Kings, considered strong contenders in the offseason, once again looked to bolster their lineup for a third consecutive playoff run.
Once again they turned to Columbus.
The Blue Jackets were in complete upheaval on their way to a last place finish in the NHL. There were rumors that Carter and fellow superstar Rick Nash had both demanded trades, leading to rampant speculation as to where Nash might wind up.
Rick Nash - "These Teams are on My List"
Ultimately, it was Carter who was traded.
The Kings sent offensively talented, but defensively challenged Jack Johnson, to the Blue Jackets, reuniting Carter and Richards in Los Angeles less than a full season after their exile from Philadelphia.
Kings fans will remember fondly how the season ended: Jeff Carter scored eight playoff goals, tied with Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown for the team lead, and the Kings won the Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history.
So far, Carter has gone on to score 220 points in 300 games with the Kings. He ranks 20th in goals and 29th in points all-time in Kings history.
Johnson, meanwhile, has continued to put up strong offensive numbers, but the Blue Jackets have only qualified for the playoffs once since he arrived in Columbus.