Throughout their storied history, the Flyers have had many great lines. The LCB line of Reggie Leach, Bobby Clarke, and Bill Barber is by far the greatest line they've had. The Redemption Line of Ville Leino, Scott Hartnell, and Danny Briere was the last memorable line.
However, many Flyers fans will say their favorite line was the famed "Legion of Doom" of the mid-1990s. They never scored as much as the LCB line, nor did they win a Stanley Cup. However, they had a badass name and a badass personality.
There have been other teams with great lines over the last few years. Among the best was Boston's Perfection Line consisting of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and David Pastrňák. It was a line that could take over and dominate a game, much like the Legion of Doom. In three years of active service, the line scored a combined 666 points.
So, what was it about the Doom line that was so special? What made the line of Eric Lindros, John LeClair, and Mikael Renberg so dominating? It was the makeup of the line. Let's look at each player and see how the current Flyers can learn from them.
Eric Lindros
It was the makeup of the line itself. Thirty years later, when we think of Lindros, we mostly think about the injuries and the "What ifs" as year after year ended in playoff disappointment. However, when he was on the ice, there was no player as dominant. Now, I'm not saying he was the best player. During the mid to late 90s, that would probably go to a guy like Jaromir Jagr.
Instead, nobody impacted a game quite like him. His size barrelled opposing defenders over. His speed and passing accuracy could set up one of his wingers for a timely pass. There were many times that the focus was solely on him, and someone else got open. Again, he wasn't the best player in the NHL, but he caught the attention of the other team so much that mistakes were made.
This is not to say that he couldn't score. He ranks 22nd all-time in points per game with 1,138; however, a lot of that stat was after he left the Flyers. As a member of the Flyers, he had a blistering 1.356 PPG, which would be good enough for sixth place today. Over an eight-year, injury-filled career, he scored 290 goals with 369 assists. He was a scoring machine.
John Leclair
It's a good thing that Briere hired LeClair to be part of the Flyers' management group. LeClair was the perfect complement to Lindros. While Lindros stood at a massive 6'4", 240 lbs, LeClair was just a shade under at 6'3", 226lbs. LeClair became one of the best left-wingers in the NHL with Lindros at his side.
Of the top left-wingers in the 90s, only Luc Robitaille, Brendan Shanahan, and Keith Tkachuk scored more goals than LeClair's 406. A big part of that was how LeClair played. Yes, he could speed down the side of the rink and slap a wicked one-timer. He had one of the most lethal shots in the NHL. However, he also liked to camp out in front of the net, waiting for a deflection, especially on the power play. In 1995-96, he had 19 goals on the man advantage. He also had the first of three straight 50-goal seasons.
Like Lindros, LeClair used his size to his advantage. He could muscle his way in front of the net, set up a screen for his teammates, or grab the rebound and put the biscuit in the basket. It is a shame that he hasn't gotten a serious look from the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Mikael Renberg
Renberg's 38 goals as a rookie are second only to Lindros's 41. His 83 points as a rookie still stand as the best season ever by a Flyers' rookie. The 6'2", 235 lbs. Swedish rocket was a great compliment to his Doomer linemates.
Now, as time went on, injuries took their toll on Renberg, much like Lindros. He had a harder time recovering, and his point totals steadily went down. He was traded for Chris Gratton in a move that never panned out. Renberg was eventually replaced on the Doom line by Mark Recchi to form Doom II.
Why the Flyers Need a "Doom Line"
The Doom line was great, but it opened the doors for other lines as well. With so much focus on Lindros, it left LeClair and Renberg/Recchi open. Likewise, with so much focus on them, it left lines helmed by Rod Brind'Amour, Dale Hawerchuk, Keith Primeau, and Joel Otto open as well. This made the team extra dangerous.
There's no doubt the Flyers have a team loaded with young talent. Everyone believes this team is full of potential. For whatever reason, they just haven't hit it yet.
If you look at the current roster, no matter how you arrange the top three lines, it looks like the Flyers could form three solid lines. That's great, but they don't have one that is super dominating; that one line that can change the course of the whole game.
That's the one thing that this team still lacks. They lack "that guy" whom the whole team can rally around. They haven't had "him" since Claude Giroux. They also haven't had a line that can take over a game, seemingly at will, in a long time. That's the one thing that the Flyers still need. Once they can find it, they will make that jump from pretenders to contenders.