Eric Lindros, the Philadelphia Flyers star and one of the premier players in the NHL over the past eight seasons, was cleared to play hockey again Monday. Lindros' doctor, Chicago neurologist Dr. James Kelly, proclaimed Lindros fit to resume play nearly six months after the All-Star center suffered his sixth concussion in only 27 months.
In a recent post-workout interview with reporters, Lindros maintained that he understands the health risks involved in resuming his hockey career, but has faith in both his doctor and his body. Now all he needs to do is find a team. Lindros has vowed never to play with Philadelphia again after constant altercations with Flyers general manager Bob Clarke. Lindros wishes to play for his hometown team, the Toronto Maple Leafs, but has one major obstacle in his way - the road to Toronto goes through Clarke.
In 1992, Bob Clarke gave the Quebec Nordiques (now the Colorado Avalanche) six players, two first-round draft picks, and $15 million for the rights to Lindros. It is the most ever given up in the history of the league for an athlete who had never skated in an NHL game. Lindros was to be the Flyers savior. Yet, the six-time All-Star and 1995-96 MVP was unable to bring the Stanley Cup to Philadelphia.
While relations between Lindros and Clarke have been strained from the beginning, frustration and resentment on both sides reached a peak last year when Lindros criticized the Flyers medical staff for failing to diagnose his second concussion of the season, to which Clarke responded by stripping Lindros of his captaincy. Lindros would not play again until the Conference Finals, where Scott Stevens knocked him out of his Flyers jersey for good.
Lindros is now considered a restricted free agent, meaning he can sign with any team, but the Flyers have the right to match any offer. If the Flyers do not match the offer, they are entitled to five first round draft picks as compensation. While this method of changing teams could circumvent Clarke, it does not appear practical for Lindros.
It was rumored during the off-season that Lindros' agent proposed a five-year, $50 million deal to the Maple Leafs and was promptly rejected. Teams can simply not afford to pay premium dollar and give up five draft picks for a health liability. During the 1997-98 season, a player who had suffered five previous concussions, Pat LaFontaine, was declared healthy by the same Dr. Kelly and was traded from the Buffalo Sabres to the New York Rangers. LaFontaine played just half a season before he was forced to retire with a head injury. The Flyers own Lindros' hockey rights until the summer of 2004. If Lindros wants to play hockey again outside of Philadelphia anytime soon, he needs Bob Clarke to agree to a trade with a team willing to take a substantial gamble.
The Leafs, Rangers, and Los Angeles Kings are thought to be the three franchises interested in dealing for Lindros. Lindros has made it clear that he wishes to go home and skate for Toronto. He has implied that he would not play for either New York or L.A. if they were to trade for him. This has not gone over well with Clarke. Clarke has stated publicly on multiple occasions that he feels no loyalty towards Lindros and will deal him to the team that offers the most in return. But will any team offer enough? Clarke has also let it be known that he will value Lindros in a trade as if he is 100 percent healthy and will not consider any conditional trades based on his health.
One must wonder about the wisdom of Lindros expressing such a strong desire to play for Toronto when such a deal must go through a potentially vengeful Clarke. In baseball, when Ken Griffey Jr. announced that if traded he would only play for Cincinnati, he damaged the bargaining power of his team, the Seattle Mariners, because Seattle had to deal him. This is not the case in Philadelphia - Lindros is their property for four more seasons and Clarke seems content to leave Lindros without a team indefinitely. He may even demand more from Toronto than New York or L.A. simply knowing that the trade will make the man he loathes happy.
Pat Quinn, the Leaf's coach and GM, must decide whether Lindros is worth a large contract (probably around $8 million per season) and the Flyers significant trade demands. The Maple Leafs currently trail only Ottawa in the Eastern Conference at 12-7-3-1 and have a quality center in Mats Sundin.
