NHL: Flyers And Eric Lindros: A Divorce Waiting To Happen

This needs to happen.

It’s time to move on.

These are the words being used by Eric Lindros and the Philadelphia Flyers over the last six months and it has gotten old. Besides being an understatement, it’s obvious that both sides are trying to cover their butts in the media and are waiting to see how much Lindros will get in the restricted market. Both sides are stubborn and want the other to bow down, which doesn’t appear likely to happen. Let’s make a suggestion.

Let’s get a divorce.

I’m sorry to say it, but we have had a separation period and it has brought problems and attention that we don’t need. Obviously these two sides can’t compromise on what’s for lunch, let alone the treatment of its star player, so like all good things, the Lindros-Flyers relationship must come to an end.

However, we will never get enough compensation for losing Lindros.

I wouldn’t grab a concussion-prone star for full price either, but if you were Flyer GM Bob Clarke, you knew this before you badmouthed Lindros all over the press. Definitely not the smartest thing to do.

I can understand why Clarke was upset about all those years of the early to mid-'90s, when he was constantly catering to Lindros’ needs. But if Lindros didn’t want to play, he probably didn’t, and if he didn’t like a player or coach, their wills were bent or their jobs were lost.

There is a lot of hostility in the air building from years of disappointment from Lindros’ guaranteed Hall of Fame career, to his injuries, to the Flyers not winning the Cup in over twenty years. But make no mistake; this is not all Eric Lindros’ fault. The Flyers, though they have made trades over the years, haven’t done enough to get over the hump. They haven’t gotten those final pieces like a goaltender or defenseman, which they have needed for 10 years, it seems.

For years the Flyers have attempted half-heartedly to get those pieces and failed. Making a big pitch at goalie John Vanbiesbrouck because he knew then-head coach Roger Neilson? Yeah, he was cheaper than Curtis Joseph or Mike Richter, but signing Vanbiesbrouck did not work out. If they had stopped making all these trades and bad signings and traded for quality, you’d see a different team primed for a championship, not just one that loses in the first or second round.

To be frank, both sides are to blame, and the consequence is the Flyers can’t play with each other any longer and they apparently don’t know how to act. It sounds childish, but I guess Lindros can’t make decisions without his parents and Clarke can’t let his tough pride go enough to think like a GM should and realize that his actions will have an effect on how much we will get for Lindros and how the team reacts.

Although I’m glad Clarke finally took a stand, there was a better way to show that there was a problem and still come up with a good twist for both sides. Now we have to trade Lindros for less value. Maybe we kept Lindros too long.