Faced with growing frustration from Wayne Gretzky, on 27 February 1996, McMaster traded Gretzky to the St. Louis Blues for three prospects, Craig Johnson, Patrice Tardif and Roman Vopat, along with a 5th round pick in 1996 (Peter Hogan) and a 1st round pick in 1997 (Matt Zultek). The trade wound up being disastrous for both teams. Gretzky played only 31 games for the Blues, while the players McMaster acquired did not amount to anything substantial for the Kings. While Johnson was able to earn a full-time roster spot with the team, both Tardif and Vopat left the league within three years, while Hogan and Zultek failed to make it to the NHL altogether.