When the name Eric Lindros is mentioned, most people remember the dynamic winger who tormented the league as a member of the Philadelphia Flyers. Some others will say his trade is possibly the only time in NHL history where a team has moved away from a star player and perhaps been better for it. Many people have revisited the Lindros trade, but very few have seen how it affected both organizations for the foreseeable future. This is a monster deal that changed the shape of the league forever. This is the Eric Lindros trade tree.
Lindros Before the Draft
In the beginning, slightly after man created fire, a young kid was in the ranks of the Oshawa Generals. At 6-foot-4, 230 pounds, Lindros had the size to run through people. Unfortunately for kids in the Ontario Hockey League then, the world was about to discover that Lindros was not a one-trick pony. In his first season with the Generals, he had 17 goals and 19 assists for 36 points in 25 games. That’s not bad. But after that, he went nuts. In his draft year of 1990-91, he played 57 games and recorded 71 goals and 78 assists for 149 points, the 14th-highest point total in an OHL season ever.
Related: Eric Lindros: A Player Who Changed Hockey Both On and Off The Ice
Lindros became the clear favorite for the first overall pick with this explosion. If you are old enough to remember this season in the NHL, the Toronto Maple Leafs traded that year’s first-round pick. They were desperately trying to pick up anti-tanking measures from the Quebec Nordiques to ensure they did not give Eric Lindros to the New Jersey Devils. With this, the Nordiques secured the first overall pick, and they would get to draft Eric Lindros. Everything looked suitable for the Nordiques. But if only things were ever that easy.
Lindros refused to sign his contract with the Nordiques. At the time, no one knew why, so fans assumed it was because of the language, city, or culture. It was later revealed during an interview Lindros did with Sportsnet that his issue was not with the organization but with the Nordiques owner Marcel Aubut. Not knowing this at the time, Lindros was labeled as a baby, and Nordiques fans started to wear diapers to games mocking Lindros’ decision. Quebec’s general manager at the time, Pierre Page,…
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