#4: Eric Lindros, C, Flyers: 1992-2000
In one of the largest trades and biggest spectacles in NHL history, Eric Lindros was a Philadelphia Flyer, and an all-time great one at that. Despite playing 13 years in the NHL, Lindros managed to appear in just 760 games – an average of just 58 games a year. Because of his injury problems, Lindros remains one of the biggest ‘what if’s in hockey history.
"“Dominant forward with a unique combination of size, skill, and physicality, a Hart Trophy winner.” – ChatGPT"
Lindros joined the Flyers as a 19 year old in 1992 and immediately scored 40 goals (41 to be exact) – something he would do three more times in Philadelphia. At 6’4″, 240 pounds, Lindros was a menace to play against, and the burly forward scored 90 or more points three times, including a 115-point 1995-96 season. One year prior to that, Lindros won the Hart Trophy and the Lester B. Pearson Award as the league’s MVP and Most Outstanding Player – the latter as voted by the NHL Players Association. Bobby Clarke is the only other Flyer to win the two awards at any point.
Lindros was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2016, and had his number 88 retired on Jan.18, 2018. As a Flyer, he finished ninth all-time in goals (290), tied seventh (MacLeish) all-time in assists (369), and sixth all-time in points (659). However, Lindros is the franchise’s all-time leader in points-per-game, averaging 1.36.
Without injury, Lindros could have been one of the all-time greats, period.