There is no bigger "what if" in hockey history than Eric Lindros. When he was drafted, he was thought to be the next coming of Wayne Gretzky. He had it all; he could score at will, he was huge, he had elite skill, and he played with a massive mean streak. Unfortunately, a brutal run of concussions cut his prime short and changed the entire trajectory of his career.
But it left most hockey fans wondering what if Lindros had managed to stay healthy. What if Scott Stevens didn't deliver that huge hit when he was skating over the blue line? Just how good would Lindros have been?
Lindros likely brings a Cup to Philly
If Lindros actually stays healthy, the Philadelphia Flyers probably run the league. The Legion of Doom line with John LeClair and Mikael Renberg was already impossible to play against, but a healthy Lindros keeps Philly at the top for a decade. They easily win a couple of Stanley Cups in the late 90s and early 2000s instead of always falling just short.
Plus, without all the medical drama, that ugly feud between Lindros and Bobby Clarke likely never happens. Which doesn't open the door to him leaving Philly. However, he likely leaves at some point to join the Toronto Maple Leafs, just given how vocal he was about wanting to play there. Regardless, he would have likely cemented himself as one of, if not the best, Flyers players of all time.
Stat-wise, his numbers would have been up there with the top-five all time. People forget that early in his career, his points-per-game average was at the same level as the best to ever do it. If he were able to play a full career instead of missing time and ultimately retiring early at just 33, he could have easily scored 1,700 points and probably passes Ron Francis, landing himself in the top five in all-time NHL scoring.
He still made the Hall of Fame because his peak was just that dominant, but we should be talking about him in the exact same breath as the all-time greats. Sadly, if it wasn't the injuries, it was the contract drama with Quebec and then the Flyers. If he had. His career definitely wasn't what he had hoped. He only played for 13 years and missed a ton of time; unfortunately, we are left wondering what if he managed to stay healthy.
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