Would you rather draft Eric Lindros (assuming no concussion issues) or Alex Ovechkin?

[Calderon]

Does Ovi get some overhaul treatment regarding those bizarre in-between years, too? A pretty tough poll actually.

 

[MrOT]

Lindros was more talented

 

[Midnight Judges]

Funny how it always ends up being real life Ovechkin vs imaginary "what if" player X.

 

[RuudeDog]

Lindros was far more dominant all over the ice with the exception of scoring goals. But Lindros could do that as well.

 

[Nasti]

Lindros was a center and a better overall player. Ovechkin is the better goal scorer.

 

[MasterofGrond]

"No concussions" isn't a strong enough what-if to pick Lindros and I'm pretty surprised 45% of people are doing so.

Ovechkin is (probably) the best goal scorer of all time, a guy who's played a tough physical brand of hockey while racking up a career average of 50 goals per 82 games for 18 seasons now.

Even a much healthier Lindros probably isn't that healthy and that consistent.

 

[And Bust It Is]

Lindros was one of the most dominant players I have ever seen. The only players I would take over a healthy Lindros is Gretzky, Lemieux, and possibly McDavid. Despite Lindros's destroyed career he still made the Hockey Hall of Fame for a reason. There was never been anyone else like him in NHL history.

 

[surixon]

But for Lindros to stay reasonably healthy he'd would have to some what change his style of play.

Would he in todays NHL? It's not the head hunting physical game it was for much of Eric's career. Would Ovi have survived playing the way he did back in the 90's with guys like Steven's trying to take off his head at every opportunity?

These questions are so hard ro answer because the variables are vastly different for each player.

 

[Deadpool8812]

In what era? If you put Lindros in the post-2005 era to play his career in he's my choice

 

[iCanada]

it's a hard question because Lindros would basically have to be superhuman to play that recklessly without hurting himself.

you're also negating one of Ovechkin's biggest strengths - his ability to play a physical game without hurting himself. he's arguably top 2 ever at that, along with Gordie Howe.

I don't think this is really a fair comparison. When Lindros entered the league there was so much obstruction and every time you entered the zone you'd be funneled into a mountain sized behemoth that was trying to hit you in the head.

The most physical defenseman in the league when Ovi entered it was like... Robyn Regehr? The fossil of Chelios? Maybe Pronger, but he was tapering out of that due to his own head injuries. Lindros had to contend with every team having two maybe three guys bigger and meaner.

I think Ovechkin likely isn't the same iron man he is today if he had to deal with that. They took that shit out of the game because of Lindros, but half the guys in the league at that time had short careers due to head injuries. Basically anytime who routinely tried to carry pucks over the offensive blueline had major concussion problems. If 2006 Ovi played the way he did in 1991 he likely is just as much of a bandaid as Lindros. Further to that... residual considering he'd have had to of fought goons just like Lindros did after he threw clean body checks. 90s goons didn't give a f***, they'd straight up tell you in warm up that they didn't want you to make them take a suspension. But they'd take a suspension no problem, that was their job. They'd take a number and just jump you no problem.

 

[Bouboumaster]

It as to be Ovechkin

 

[Michael Farkas]

Good question, first off.

I'm more critical of one-dimensional wingers than most. But I just don't see what the advantage is that Lindros brings to this. It's not like he's this high hockey IQ, two-way mastermind, playmaker, that was also 6'4" and could fight and could kill and all that...

Ovechkin is a tank and his output is superhuman goal scoring...and there's a physical element. Lindros is a paper tank that offers.......not too much of a different element than Lindros did. Maybe Lindros was a better scorer in close...? Maybe. But with Ovechkin, I don't have to guess...

It's not like asking, I don't know, Ovechkin or Lidstrom or something...where there's a completely different element afoot.

 

[Dr Beinfest]

I think some people look at Lindros’s stat line on hockeydb and mistake PIM for PTS.

When folks were putting up 160 pts, Lindros was putting up 160 PIM.

 

[JackSlater]

The guarantee of Ovechkin is too much to pass up. It also is not as if Lindros' injuries were all head injuries.

 

[MXD]

Ovechkin, because removing injuries out of the equation means removing Ovechkin's ability to remain healthy while playing physical, in a comparison vs. a player who couldn't remain healthy while doing so.

 

[hairylikebear]

Lindros' first 5 seasons were nothing compared to Ovechkin's. I understand that Lindros was hyped as a teenager but it's been all but proven since then that Ovechkin is the more talented player.

 

[Roksta]

Idk, Ovechkin is the goat goalscorer and much more proven

but in a 4 out of 7 series with both healthy? Lindros would have demolished Ovechkin physically while still scoring at Ovy's pace

 

[Video Nasty]

Really bizarre that some are trying to pretend that 6 known concussions sandwiched around a collapsed lung in less than 18 months were not the main culprits in the downfall of Lindros.

 

[Auston Marlander]

but his health would be the issue. We got glimpses of what he COULD do, but to ask "if he stays healthy" When talking about comparing players with 10+ years there is no need to use IF--IF Lindros has stayed healthy--he could have been Mario-but he could not stay healthy.

Could you imagine how great Brian Savage could have been if he could have stayed healthy

I reject any question where "if" is suggested when it comes to player X staying healthy vs player who has stayed healthy

I mean it's a hypothetical question, if Lindros was healthy his whole career who do you take? Or ankther way of asking would be, what would Lindros have been without his injuries.

You don't have to answer but it's a fair question.

 

[McVespa99]

But for Lindros to stay reasonably healthy he'd would have to some what change his style of play.

Yah. He would have to keep his head up... Thats all

 

[Regal]

Really bizarre that some are trying to pretend that 6 known concussions sandwiched around a collapsed lung in less than 18 months were not the main culprits in the downfall of Lindros.

Who is saying that? All I’ve seen is those suggesting that Lindros had multiple injuries, which is an issue compared to Ovechkin’s durability, and that unlike others who missed games but showed what they could do when healthy, we have no frame of reference for how he would have aged, when we know that Ovechkin has had pretty incredible longevity.

 

[BraveCanadian]

Lindros, not close.

 

[Video Nasty]

Who is saying that? All I’ve seen is those suggesting that Lindros had multiple injuries, which is an issue compared to Ovechkin’s durability, and that unlike others who missed games but showed what they could do when healthy, we have no frame of reference for how he would have aged, when we know that Ovechkin has had pretty incredible longevity.

Post #14, #39, and the phantasms haunting my mind.

 

[Cursed Lemon]

Idk, Ovechkin is the goat goalscorer and much more proven

but in a 4 out of 7 series with both healthy? Lindros would have demolished Ovechkin physically while still scoring at Ovy's pace

Yes, Eric Lindros with his whole 5-pound advantage on Ovechkin would've DeMoLiShEd him.

 

[Puck Dogg]

People forget how good Lindros was. He made the '91 Canada Cup team while playing still junior hockey. No best on best team Canada has ever before or ever since selected a player without any NHL games.