Too Late For Lindros And The Leafs (636 hits)
Category: SportsRating: 1.4 on 26 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by d_prime <dprime.at.hotmail.com> (View user info) at 2005-08-12 18:06:05 EDT
Just before 8pm last night, it was made official. The Maple Leafs signed Eric Lindros to a one-year deal worth 1.55 million dollars US.
There was a period from November 2000 to February 2001 when every one in Toronto was quite certain that we'd be receiving Lindros from Philadelphia. This went down the drain at the last minute. The flyers pulled out, not because they thought that they weren't getting enough in order to improve their team, but because they didn't want to give up the star that was selling most of the tickets; what does this show? That Toronto was about to give up talent for a hollow ticket-seller, likely forgetting that a lack of money and ticket sales has never been a problem for the team.
Little did the Leafs know (at least it seemed they didn't) while coming so close to this deal was that Lindros had (and still has) serious head problems that would at that point begin ruining his career. His sixth career concussion had already taken place in 2000, in Game Six of the Eastern Conference finals. They wouldn't stop any time after that. Whenever they weren't happening, it was still quite obvious that they were influencing his playing ability.
In the 1992-93 season, Lindros was drafted by The Quebec Nordiques. Refusing to play for them because he didn't think they were good enough for him (aren't players supposed to try to make teams better?) Quebec received a huge deal from Philadelphia in exchange for Lindros; this deal included Peter Foresberg, who would later come to be considered the best player in the NHL (except perhaps Jaromire Jagr) for several years, plus many others. This was the second fiasco of this sort for Lindros, who pulled a similar stunt in the juniors in Canada. The Nordiques would later move to Colorado as the Avalanche, where they would win a cup in 1996. Overall since the trade, Colorado has won two Stanley Cups and eight division titles; the haul they pulled out of Philadelphia certainly couldn't have hurt. It looks as though the club got its money's worth out of the Flyers.
From the 92-93 season to the 98-99 season, Lindros averaged 86 points per year and won one Hart Trophy for MVP. From 99-00 to 03-04, during which period he went to New York, the grave yard for old talent, he averaged 54 points per season. The decline is miraculous. His current potential can't be defended on the basis of past injury or a lack of games played, because there is no evidence that his injuries and unavailability will be slowing down now, and his points per game average still went from 1.1 to 0.87, which is a notable change in its self, if slightly less so than his points per season.
Eric Lindros was an NHL star in the mid-90s. He isn't any more, and there are no signs that he will be again any time soon. It was too late to take advantage of him in 2001, and it's certainly too late now.
The signing of Lindros for over a million dollars for only one year, when the continuing decline in his ability is obvious, is a prime example of what has been wrong with the Leafs for a long time; the team seems to be doing the same thing every year, and it's getting old. With no help from the salary cap, Toronto's habit of giving up all its funding and draft picks for players who are several years past the apex of their career, to make 'one final cup run,' is about to blow up in every one's (except perhaps Senators and Flyers fans') face, big time. The team has almost no promising young talent, and the stars are getting seriously old; it's long past the point when Toronto first needed to stop buying big names and start buying big talent, big talent that's going to last.
During the just recently passed period when Colorado, Dallas, Detroit and New Jersey were consistently winning the Stanley Cup, Toronto should have been putting its focus into signing young talent and building up for the future, instead of making futile attempts at winning the cup its self by signing players that were out of their prime, sacrificing the team's defense and the team's future. Building up and planning is what Calgary, San Jose, Tampa Bay and all the smart non-contenders were doing, and this is why these teams are now dominating the league.
The only worth while veteran The Leafs signed in this period was Ed Belfour, who didn't have the proper defense in front of him and is going to be retired before he can be put to any use.
The longer The Leafs wait to stop this irresponsible, whimsical, falsely idealistic planning, the longer it's going to be before we get a team like we had in the 60s, a team that will bring the cup to Toronto for reasons other than The Hockey Hall of Fame and inter-season storage.
User Reviews
Submitted by d_prime (user info) at 2005-08-12 22:24:05 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Oh, and the Oilers suck.
Submitted by d_prime (user info) at 2005-08-12 22:09:58 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
http://www.ubersite.com/m/73098#1522456 Good point. Do the politics in this post piss you off? Should I have blamed Lindros for being an evil capitalist only worried about him self?
Submitted by DonovanMD (user info) at 2005-08-12 21:00:21 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Rod Brindamour was never the same....
Submitted by zakalwe (user info) at 2005-08-12 21:00:13 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
No Comment
Submitted by Confuzitron (user info) at 2005-08-12 20:50:27 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
According to Mark Recchi, Lindros is gonna sleep with all the players wives too.
Submitted by DonovanMD (user info) at 2005-08-12 20:11:05 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Lindros and Allison will not help bring a cup to the center of the universe. Which I'm glad for actually, as an Oiler fan and Toronto disliker (I dont HATE the city, just a slightly more than mild dislike).
Submitted by ajanssen (user info) at 2005-08-12 20:04:59 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
+2 for giving Eddie Belfour the props he deserves. The entire city of Dallas wept when he left.
Submitted by bklyn65 (user info) at 2005-08-12 19:01:26 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
well described of how he is a waste of money. Believe me i know (outing) I am a rangers fan
Submitted by d_prime (user info) at 2005-08-12 18:40:04 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Don't forget Joe and Owen Nolan, though the latter was more of an error than a bad ideology.
Submitted by badassmofo (user info) at 2005-08-12 18:39:49 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I can't wait to watch the Flyers crush the Leafs this year...again.
Submitted by The_Yellow_Dart (user info) at 2005-08-12 18:38:48 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
Leafs are so good at picking up has-beens... at least the fucker that is Ron Francis won't be comming back. What a waste that was. Oh, and Doug Gilmour and that other old guy from calgary with the Jofa helmet that played maybe 2 games.
Submitted by d_prime (user info) at 2005-08-12 18:32:01 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
I say the sharks will take it this year, while the leafs will come in 6th in the East and be out in Round One.
Submitted by Xcuses (user info) at 2005-08-12 18:31:52 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
that's cool
Submitted by Xcuses (user info) at 2005-08-12 18:31:07 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Flames will be good this yr. My Red Wings team should still be competitive
Submitted by d_prime (user info) at 2005-08-12 18:30:47 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
I already read it. Good job. I don't want to comment, because that might give it more attention and in turn make someone give it a less-than-2 rating.
Submitted by d_prime (user info) at 2005-08-12 18:30:14 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Bob made me laugh out loud. Yeah, I think there's some bad pain relivers going around Philly that's giving The Flyers problems.
Submitted by Xcuses (user info) at 2005-08-12 18:29:49 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
well you don't want to go away not reading my entry into your own contest now would you...
http://www.ubersite.com/m/73050
I think I'm doing alright
Submitted by William_Q_Percy (user info) at 2005-08-12 18:26:48 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
Leafs suck.
RUMOUR!
Flames signed UFA Roman Hamrlik!
Does this mean Lydman is getting moved, or does it mean Phaneuf will spend ANOTHER year in the minors? Who knows?
Plus we signed Kipper and Rhetzky to long term deals today.
Fuck! October 13th, where are you already!? I want to see that Western Conference Champs banner get raised!
Submitted by BobLobla (user info) at 2005-08-12 18:23:26 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
***HOCKEY***HOCKEY***HOCKEY***HOCKEY***HOCKEY***HOCKEY***HOCKEY***HOCKEY***HOCKEY***
***HOCKEY***HOCKEY***HOCKEY***HOCKEY***HOCKEY***HOCKEY***HOCKEY***HOCKEY***HOCKEY***
***HOCKEY***HOCKEY***HOCKEY***HOCKEY***HOCKEY***HOCKEY***HOCKEY***HOCKEY***HOCKEY***
***HOCKEY***HOCKEY***HOCKEY***HOCKEY***HOCKEY***HOCKEY***HOCKEY***HOCKEY***HOCKEY***
***HOCKEY***HOCKEY***HOCKEY***HOCKEY***HOCKEY***HOCKEY***HOCKEY***HOCKEY***HOCKEY***
***HOCKEY***HOCKEY***HOCKEY***HOCKEY***HOCKEY***HOCKEY***HOCKEY***HOCKEY***HOCKEY***
THE NEXT PERSON THAT BREATHES ON LINDROS WITH TAKE HIM OUT OF THE NHL WITH HIS 9TH CONCUSSION
Interesting sidebar, Roenick has had 9...
Explains alot hey?
Submitted by d_prime (user info) at 2005-08-12 18:21:36 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
I could go on forever about how the NHL could improve its format.
Submitted by Xcuses (user info) at 2005-08-12 18:20:46 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
It really sucks that the original six don't play each other much during the season. Nice marketing Bettman
Submitted by d_prime (user info) at 2005-08-12 18:17:43 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
1968* They won the cup in '67
Submitted by satchel (user info) at 2005-08-12 18:17:38 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I hate you.
But you may be right this ONE TIME.
Stupid fucking Leafs.
Submitted by JonnyX (user info) at 2005-08-12 18:16:28 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
Toronto - A Tradition of Suck since 1967.
ALLONS-Y HABITANTS!
Submitted by stevie_says (user info) at 2005-08-12 18:14:17 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I think he was concussed at the press conference.
Submitted by Xcuses (user info) at 2005-08-12 18:11:28 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Lindros would have helped 8 yrs ago..now he's just another older player on the verge of a concusion