Why haven't we seen another Eric Lindros?

[elmaco]

Yeah, it's Ovi.

 

[paragon]

Probably the only thing unique about Lindros was his nasty streak rarely seen on 1st overall talents. He was great, but like this thread shows, massively overrated.

 

[Number8]

Curious question, we've had a ton of brilliant players come through the ranks since his last game, but nobody has ever come close to the physical dominance and skillset that Lindros had. Why haven't we seen someone like him since? Are players like him that rare? Should he be considered more of a generational player or even one of the best ever considering how rare it is to see a player like him?

I beg all of you...... sincerely.

1) Can we stop talking about who is a f***ing generational players. It's reaching a generational level of tediousness.

2) Can we stop asking questions like "why have we not seen another obvious example of dominating size, strength, skill, and nastiness in the League?"

By the way, the answer to #2 is obvious. I think GM's don't like that style of play anymore.

Jesus.......

 

[Oneiro]

The stories and myths around Lindros are absurd.

He was just big boy genetics attached to the typical first overall package. Not close to generational at all. If that's the case, then Jagr must be generational too (he's not).

 

[bleedgreen]

Ovechkin has been a hof player and earlier in his career he was what you would call a power forward but he’s not a very good comparison to Lindros.

The game wouldn’t accept Lindros as he was now, it could barely accept Ovechkin 20 years ago. Lindros was a monster. He destroyed every single player who was at a disadvantage near him. Which is why I was fine he went out the way he played. Wilson at his best level of skating with the least amount of restraint is the best comparison I can think of. Lindros a menace who could score whenever he wanted.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

They play other sports , also your parents need to be quite rich to play hockey these days , that cuts down the pool by ALOT

 

[NyQuil]

Brady doesn’t quite have the physical dominance that Lindros had in terms of puck protection and possession.

I saw him a lot with the Generals in Junior, and guys would literally just bounce off him trying to hit him.

Obviously in the NHL, guys were bigger and stronger, but despite all of the obstruction allowed at the time, you couldn’t stop him around the slot or the net.

That was his territory.

 

[abax44]

Buff, maybe? Strong as an ox, skilled, could skate... but instead of no spatial awareness he had no desire to get better.

*not to say Buff was on Lindros' level

 

[JianYang]

The hype was crazy for lindros at the time partly because he really was a unicorn.

Bertuzzi had some of this makeup in his prime where he could be an absolute bus, but he he also had a silkier side to him that I think he preferred.

 

[JianYang]

Buff, maybe? Strong as an ox, skilled, could skate... but instead of no spatial awareness he had no desire to get better.

*not to say Buff was on Lindros' level

That's a good one actually. I recall a shift.... it might have been the first shift ever in winnipeg 2.0. He just came out and obliterated everyone physically.

The guy was definitely built different.

 

[JianYang]

He was a true generational talent.
That word gets tossed around so much it has lost meaning.
Apparently there are currently 20+ generational players in the league. lol

Lindros had a toolbox most players would dream of, and it was overflowing with the best tools around.

The only skill he didn’t have was keeping his head up

Aside from keeping his head up, it was also an extremely taxing style. It's not just the punishment he took as there were alot of guys in the league who who would raise their stock simply by going toe to toe physically with him, but it's also delivering that punishment that can take a toll too.

Concussions or not, I'm not sure how sustainable that style really was, but it was entertaining to watch while it lasted.

 

[EdmFlyersfan]

As the NHL expands and if other cultures are able to have accessibility/affordability, I would wager the chances of another one like him coming down the road will increase to likelihood...but Big E was a unique specimen.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

That's a good one actually. I recall a shift.... it might have been the first shift ever in winnipeg 2.0. He just came out and obliterated everyone physically.

The guy was definitely built different.

Not as skilled as Lindros but otherwise a good comparable. I understand the Ovie and Malkin references but they weren't nearly as physically fearsome as Lindros. Of course, you couldn't really play like that in the league anymore without being suspended.

It's maybe more like, imagine if Ryan Reaves was actually good at hockey? And Lindros was 2 inches taller and 15 lbs heavier than Reaves.

 

[Beukeboom Fan]

Curious question, we've had a ton of brilliant players come through the ranks since his last game, but nobody has ever come close to the physical dominance and skillset that Lindros had. Why haven't we seen someone like him since? Are players like him that rare? Should he be considered more of a generational player or even one of the best ever considering how rare it is to see a player like him?

If you saw him live - Lindros was the equivalent of a unicorn shyting rainbows. EL had the combination of incredible physical gifts, absolutely elite skillset, and a power forward mentality, and IMO he was absolutely a generational player. I'm not a huge hockey historian - but from a total package perspective the comparison that comes to mind is probably someone like Gordie Howe. Or an even more physically imposing Mark Messier.

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

Dude did everything exceptional except keep his head up

 

[sufferer]

Generational decline in testosterone.

 

[GOilers88]

Haven't had another Scott Stevens to scramble peoples brains in that manner.

 

[Dread Clawz]

Lindros was a product of his era. Today, hockey players are encouraged to emphasize speed and skill. Many players in the league today wouldn't have made it in the 80s and 90s.

 

[WarriorofTime]

Wake up honey, another "who is generational?" thread dropped

 

[FrozenJagrt]

Lindros was a product of his era. Today, hockey players are encouraged to emphasize speed and skill. Many players in the league today wouldn't have made it in the 80s and 90s.

If guys like Sakic and Yzerman could thrive in those days, I see no reason why modern stars couldn't do the same. Talent is talent.

 

[Rodgerwilco]

As the NHL expands and if other cultures are able to have accessibility/affordability, I would wager the chances of another one like him coming down the road will increase to likelihood...but Big E was a unique specimen.

Imagine if Samoa could start putting out hockey players. Those boys are built like tanks, athletic, and feisty.

 

[GOilers88]

Ovechkin got flattened by Rasmus Ristolainen, when it was Ovechkin that charged towards Risto.

Players literally FLEW when Lindros hit them. Both skates left the ground and landed 5-7 feet from initial contact.



Check the hit starting at 1:05

If I knew nothing about Lindros and simply watched this video, I'd think he was a total bitch who just liked shoving his hands in faces and pushing people down.

There was a few solid hits, but most of that was a terrible montage.

 

[Figgy44]

I have to take some issue with the notion that he was a high IQ player.

Eric came into the league used to the idea that he could be a bull in a china shop and get away with it. He was a man child among boys while in the OHL. He came into the league with a great package of size and skill but was either comically unaware of what was going on around him, didn't care, or thought he was invincible.

This is ridiculous. Eric Lindros without hockey IQ was Brett Lindros. You can't say that a guy who is top 10 all time fastest to 600 points isn't high IQ.

Fastest to reach milestones from 100 points to 2000 points

Did this project (with some help) a while back on another forum to collect the complete lists of players reaching 100 point, 200 point etc. milestones while being atleast PPG pace at the milestone. Former NHL records are indicated by * and the date (day.month.year) when the milestone was...

forums.hfboards.com

The stories and myths around Lindros are absurd.

He was just big boy genetics attached to the typical first overall package. Not close to generational at all. If that's the case, then Jagr must be generational too (he's not).

Look at the HF thread above. The stories and myths are absurd because his peak was absurd (albeit short). Lindros collecting points while playing the way he did in his first 500 or so NHL games while never being fully healthy was just nuts. That being said, there's a bunch of guys who were the same and are on that list even though they too were never at 100% health (ie: Crosby, Lemieux, Orr etc.) so maybe that's just par for the course.

Based on your Jagr mention, Jagr begins to surge past Lindros at around the 800 point mark due to him maintaining a high calibre of play throughout his career and the unreal longevity/health/fitness he had in his late career.

Lindros real accomplishments cement him up there as one of the best to ever play the game. That's objective. There's no myth to that. It's not projections.

Lindros wasn't just a big boy in a first overall package. He had even more. Top 5 strength for all guys who have ever played the game. Top 5 meanness and nastiness than all guys who have ever played the game without being considered a head hunter or lunatic that liked hurting people.

Byfuglien's physical dominance mention was a good one. Big Buff is the last guy in recent memory that was big and strong enough to occasionally go around rag dolling multiple people like Lindros did. But he didn't have the same mean streak and hockey skill set as Lindros.

Pronger IIRC is up there for dominating skills, size and mean streak. But I don't recall Pronger having the same strength as Buff and Lindros to rag doll dudes in the same way. I remember when I was younger thinking that Eric's stick mechanics looked weird. I double checked the other night and it's just weird to see some of his shots look like they have baseball or tennis swing mechanics mixed in. The strength was unreal.

As mentioned by another poster, few shed tears when his career ended. He was an absolute monster plain and simple. Reread the comments and many previous threads. Lots of the descriptions of Eric Lindros aren't celebrations of his dominance. It's more like campfire stories of a monstrous beast unleashed upon the league that terrorized their favourite teams and players. There's certainly a lot of intrigue as time goes on, but honestly speaking, I think most non-Flyer fans that remember him are kinda glad he's gone and another has not shown up and may never show up.

 

[Dread Clawz]

If guys like Sakic and Yzerman could thrive in those days, I see no reason why modern stars couldn't do the same. Talent is talent.

Texier, Boqvist, Sheary, Berggren, Zuccarello, etc. never would have made it back then. Half of them wouldnt even been given a chance, either. Look at MSL. He almost was a never was. The game was way .more physical and intense back then, and with the clutching and grabbing in the 90s, small speedy players just weren't given the space and freedom that they are today. Players like Sakic and Yzerman are the elite of the elite, obviously they would thrive in any era.

 

[I Hate Blake Coleman]

Haven't had another Scott Stevens to scramble peoples brains in that manner.

Jacob Trouba would make Lindros shit his f***in hockey pants