Why haven't we seen another Eric Lindros?

[Zalos]

Overrated player for the most part.

The people glazing him usually revered him because he was big and mean and could put a lot of points on the board.

He was still in a tier below all of the greats.

Ovechkin deserves "generational" way ahead of Lindros.

 

[Reindl87]

Lemieux was pretty much the same height and almost the same weight as Lindros. Didnt have the same hitting game, but held his own vs big mean guys aswell.

UNLIKE lindros, Lemieux could skate without Looking down on the ice.

 

[Reindl87]

It's such a tired excuse to dismiss the opinion of people who actually saw him play as nostalgia.

Lindros was 6'4" and 240 lbs and an absolute wrecking ball. I guess you could say he and Malkin are similar in that they are skilled and play a physical game, but the physicality and intimidation factor is not even close. Though it really couldn't be in today's league.

There's plenty of videos of his hits, fights and goals, but this one is a decent example of just how strong he was. Imagine a Peter Forsberg who is 4 inches taller and 30+ lbs heavier.

Imagine a Peter Forsberg with 1/10 of the skill Level. Lindros is by far the most overrated Player on here. He totally Dependend on his physicality. Once that Was taken away, he was Nothing. You wont find a single worse skater in todays League. On top of that he was the archetype of the cheap shot bully who turned into the biggest baby when he was treated wichtig his own medicine.
The fact that he was taken as captain for Team Canada in 1998 has to be the biggest Stain on that countries hockey legacy.

 

[Fire Sweeney]

Lindros was like prime Crosby and Lucic mixed together. The odds of that ever happening again are slim to none.

 

[Toby91ca]

Someone tell me how far Byfuglien was from a Lindros.

In terms of skill, you can't compare, it's not close. Including skating.

 

[Toby91ca]

Imagine a Peter Forsberg with 1/10 of the skill Level. Lindros is by far the most overrated Player on here. He totally Dependend on his physicality. Once that Was taken away, he was Nothing. You wont find a single worse skater in todays League. On top of that he was the archetype of the cheap shot bully who turned into the biggest baby when he was treated wichtig his own medicine.
The fact that he was taken as captain for Team Canada in 1998 has to be the biggest Stain on that countries hockey legacy.

You clearly don't like the guy, so significant bias, but ignoring that....."a Peter Forsberg with 1/10 of the skill level"? You either didn't see much of him or are just totally blinded by hate. Lindros is a decent guy now, hasn't always been and his family was a pain, no doubt, but I have no significant bias...wasn't a big hated rival for the most part and I wasn't a fan......Lindros had a ton of skill, it is what truly set him apart and what had scouts drooling when drafted. He was huge.....but countless guys have come through that were huge.....but he also came with that skill and could skate.

 

[aufheben]

There are 34 Canadians in the NFL and over 200 in NCAA Football.

Aren’t there like 72 players on one NFL team?

 

[PB37]

Imagine a Peter Forsberg with 1/10 of the skill Level. Lindros is by far the most overrated Player on here. He totally Dependend on his physicality. Once that Was taken away, he was Nothing. You wont find a single worse skater in todays League. On top of that he was the archetype of the cheap shot bully who turned into the biggest baby when he was treated wichtig his own medicine.
The fact that he was taken as captain for Team Canada in 1998 has to be the biggest Stain on that countries hockey legacy.

You are severally underrating Lindros' skill package to support your opinion.

 

[PB37]

Lindros was a unicorn, plain and simple. A fantasy player you only get to build in video games. He just lacked certain fundamentals and a proper sense of taking care of his body. He probably felt invincible because of his frame and stature and that did him in. He is the NHL's Titanic story. Deemed unsinkable but before his career was well underway it was already sinking.

Edit: Also fastest to 500 points after Gretzky, Lemieux, Stastny and Bossy. Faster than Crosby, McDavid and Ovi. Nothing to scoff at and paints a different picture than just points finishes.

I've called Lindros a generational talent before but I understand if some people think it comes with an asterisk because of his style robbing his body from reaching it's full potential and thus, comes up a bit short with the overall point totals and accolades. I still think he makes the cut as a generational player: the pre NHL hype, skill package, unicorn status are all there and the limited results of what he did in the NHL in his prime are impressive enough.

 

[Reindl87]

You clearly don't like the guy, so significant bias, but ignoring that....."a Peter Forsberg with 1/10 of the skill level"? You either didn't see much of him or are just totally blinded by hate. Lindros is a decent guy now, hasn't always been and his family was a pain, no doubt, but I have no significant bias...wasn't a big hated rival for the most part and I wasn't a fan......Lindros had a ton of skill, it is what truly set him apart and what had scouts drooling when drafted. He was huge.....but countless guys have come through that were huge.....but he also came with that skill and could skate.

He could only skate with his head down. It doesnt matter What he is now, in his playing days he was a fake Tough guy Baby bully.

 

[Toby91ca]

He could only skate with his head down. It doesnt matter What he is now, in his playing days he was a fake Tough guy Baby bully.

Look, he was not my favourite player at all, but there was also no denying the ability. Not even sure skating with head down was the biggest problem....I think he skated with his head up, it's when the puck would bobble or go somewhere he didn't want, he looked down for it. The big problem is that he didn't have to really worry about any of that until he got to the NHL....until then he was basically a man playing against boys that really couldn't do much physically with him. Because that was the case, he never learned how to protect himself. It wasn't just that though, his own aggressive play against others put his body at harm.

The last thing is simple genetics as well. Two different people can take the exact head contact (force/placement, etc.) and it simply does not have the same impact on one person as the other. I'm not sure why, but that exists. Eric's younger brother retired long before Lindros for concussions. Style of play for him was a big factor as well though.

 

[RorschachWJK]

Great player for sure. And totally unique. Never say never but I think the odds of seeing something like him again are very slim. Was one of my favorite players at the time.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

Great player for sure. And totally unique. Never say never but I think the odds of seeing something like him again are very slim. Was one of my favorite players at the time.

What made him so uniquely different Than Ovechkin?
OV literally does everything better than Lindros ever could?

Aside from Lindros doing arm-bars elbows, and cheapshots, Ovechkin hit HARD and more often and had better skill and anticipation. OV frequently lead the league in hits and goals.


Seriously, watch a hitting compilation of Lindros, then one of Ovechkin and honestly tell me Lindros was more physical.



Scoring is OV. Speed is OV. Physicality is OV. Hockey IQ is OV. Keeping his head up is OV. creativity is OV. Shot is OV. Skill is OV. Winning is OV. Hardware belongs to OV.

Tale of the tape is Lindros had 1 more inch, while OV had 8 more lbs.

I think there can be legitimate argument that Lindros played against shorter, slower, and smaller players, but OV was basically MUCH better Lindros at everything.

 

[Crow]

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

I find that video pretty underwhelming. Don’t remember watching him too much as a kid.

That’s his highlights? A bunch of cheap shots and push punches to the face? A couple clean hits?

Maybe the video just leaves something to be desired.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

I find that video pretty underwhelming. Don’t remember watching him too much as a kid.

That’s his highlights? A bunch of cheap shots and push punches to the face? A couple clean hits?

Maybe the video just leaves something to be desired.

Right??


That video is all in slow motion. and showing Lindros sucker-punching unsuspecting players, blindside headshots (karma), and running over players nowhere near the puck, and hitting goalies.

That's not being tough, that's being a p***y ass bitch.


Compare it with a video of Ovechkin actually laying out REAL hits.
That hit OV had on Jagr in 2010 was something Lindros would rarely ever do. Hit a player with the puck by anticipating and watching the lanes open up:


OV's hitting video is legitimate hits by using his on-ice awareness, speed, and size.

 

[PB37]

Right??


That video is all in slow motion. and showing Lindros sucker-punching unsuspecting players, blindside headshots (karma), and running over players nowhere near the puck, and hitting goalies.

That's not being tough, that's being a p***y ass bitch.


Compare it with a video of Ovechkin actually laying out REAL hits.
That hit OV had on Jagr in 2010 was something Lindros would rarely ever do. Hit a player with the puck by anticipating and watching the lanes open up:


OV's hitting video is legitimate hits by using his on-ice awareness, speed, and size.

Who played cleaner doesn't matter - players feared Lindros more than they do OV in terms of physicality BECAUSE he often crossed the line. Both guys had the raw power to make another player feel pain with their hits but Lindros had the extra element of him looking to really hurt players when he made contact.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

Who played cleaner doesn't matter - players feared Lindros more than they do OV in terms of physicality BECAUSE he often crossed the line. Both guys had the raw power to make another player feel pain with their hits but Lindros had the extra element of him looking to really hurt players when he made contact.

I am very aware of the player Lindros was.

He played recklessly and dangerously like Raffi Torres, and that didn't impress me then and doesn't impress me now.


Bryan Marchment used to hunt knees, and he was feared too. I don't put that in the "positive" column. Marchment was a piece of shit.

 

[Crow]

Who played cleaner doesn't matter - players feared Lindros more than they do OV in terms of physicality BECAUSE he often crossed the line. Both guys had the raw power to make another player feel pain with their hits but Lindros had the extra element of him looking to really hurt players when he made contact.

It does matter. Clean hits can help you win a game much more than taking penalties. Especially when you are the caliber of player that is a difference maker when on the ice. No one is winning games from the box.

 

[Tawnos]

Scoring is OV. Speed is OV. Physicality is OV. Hockey IQ is OV. Keeping his head up is OV. creativity is OV. Shot is OV. Skill is OV. Winning is OV. Hardware belongs to OV.

I just can't agree with this run-down.

Scoring
Lindros was a more productive player in his career. 93 points per 82 for Lindros, 89 for Ovechkin (score adjusted, still 102-101 for Lindros). In their first 8 years (for Lindros, this is prior to losing a whole season to concussions), Lindros 111 per 82, Ovechkin 100 per 82.

Speed
Given differences in training standards and the way the game was played, I don't agree. They're even.

Physicality
Look, I'm a Rangers fan. I have no good feelings about Ovechkin or Lindros as a Flyer. I've seen plenty of Ovechkin's physicality and, as a Rangers fan, it was never EVER as intimidating as Lindros' as a Flyer. The videos posted above just don't do him justice. Ovechkin is plenty physical, but it just doesn't compare. It wasn't JUST Lindros being dirty. It was the way he forechecked. It was the way he came at you with speed. It was everything you'd ever want from a physical player. Ovechkin's was more just a nice aspect of his game. It wasn't something his game was built around.

Hockey IQ
Probably comparable, but I think Lindros' playmaking gives him the edge. He understood the ice better overall than Ovechkin, though Ovechkin is better at finding scoring seams.

Keeping his head up
Obviously Ovechkin

Creativity
I agree with Ovechkin here, marginally, but it's a stylistic thing more than any big difference.

Shot
Obviously Ovechkin. That's not even close. While I think Lindros beats out Ovechkin in several skill categories IMO, he has no single aspect that is head and shoulders above the way that Ovechkin's shot is.

Skill
In terms of overall skill, I end up giving this to Lindros. Guy was literally top-tier at every single thing he did. Ovechkin's a better passer than he gets credit for being, especially early in his career, but I wouldn't call his passing top-tier.

Winning
Obviously Ovechkin, though 1 Cup to his name is somewhat of a disappointment for a player of his stature.

Hardware
Ovechkin wins here too, but it's mostly driven longevity and by Richard trophies that are the result of Ovechkin's shot being what it was. Not that he would have won any, but the Richard trophy didn't even exist for most of Lindros' career. Lindros without concussion problems likely wins at least one more Hart. Hell, he was probably the mid-season MVP in his first year with the Rangers without even playing much of a physical game... but then the wheels fell off with another concussion.

At the end of this, I consider the two players pretty comparable overall. The only thing that really sets Ovechkin apart from Lindros is his health and longevity.

 

[Z-Diddy]

both Eric and Alex we're nearly fully grown men at 16-17 years old, call it what you want, overactive pituitary glands or gigantism, as much as I was never a big fan of OV, his ability to avoid serious injury, dumb luck, longevity, playstyle, is his own credit and skill unto himself. Given the random events of hockey plays at it speed now is inarguably impressive

 

[PaulD]

That's like asking "Why aren't there more players like Crosby?"

Lindros wasn't generational solely BECAUSE he was huge, he was generational AND he happened to be huge. The hugeness was an added wrinkle that contributed to it, but the skillset and hockey IQ were absolutely elite on their own. It's not like "OK boom, so this is a pretty big guy and he can skate, so we'll just teach him to be an unrivaled hockey genius, no problem."

Good point , but Eric could fight too. And liked to do so.

 

[JackSlater]

I think I've gotten a lot dumber having read this thread, from the classic "Lindros literally couldn't skate with his head up! Aren't I smart for sayingthat?! Please think I'm smart!" posts to the seemingly serious comparisons of Ovechkin and Lindros physically when there is no comparison as to who (Lindros) was the more physical player. As for the actual thread, I'd say that it's mainly that it's a very rare combination for someone to have that physique but also elite level hockey skills. I think that the football comments are accurate in that Lindros was built like an NFL linebacker and that's without actively trying to build toward that physique. The rules and subsequently the development streams also do not really allow for making a player like Lindros anymore.

 

[PaulD]

Eric could
score like Sakic
pass like Sid
hit like Stevens
fight like Probert

 

[tabness]

The speculation about Lindros in this era does him a disservice

Lindros highlighted and literally defined his era. From NHL GMs to youth hockey development, it was Lindros that served as the template for a decade. It somewhat ruined the drafts of the nineties because of course, Lindros was truly one of a kind and there was no one else with his combination of finesse and power, born or made.

He was the quintessential player of the best hockey era, not the current soft as hell era.

 

[Martin Skoula]

I can’t see a scenario where a Lindros sized kid in juniors is going to be encouraged to hit 5’8 160 pound opponents as hard as possible anymore the way it would have been in Lindros’s junior days. All the skilled giants coming into the league have been fairly soft for the most part. Getting a Lindros sized/skills package guy isn’t that unlikely in the future but having him grow up to be as mean as possible is. Imo it would have to be someone that’s undersized through juniors and develops a little ball of hate mentality before hitting a massive growth spurt.