Eric Lindros to the Stars...wow. - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

Drbio · 07-16-2006, 10:36 PM

Eric Lindros is set to move teams again.

The oft-injured center planned to sign a one-year deal with the Dallas Stars, a team official told The Associated Press on Sunday on condition of anonymity because the contract wasn't finished yet.

"It's in the final stages of being finalized," the official said.

An announcement was expected to be made Monday.

Lindros had 11 goals and 11 assists last season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, his hometown team, but was limited to 33 games after injuring his wrist against the Stars.

Injuries have been the story for Lindros, who has missed at least 10 games in 11 of his 12 NHL seasons. Concussions have been his biggest concern, and the 33-year-old Lindros was forced to sit out the entire 2000-01 campaign after he was leveled by New Jersey's Scott Stevens during a playoff game the season before.

He has sustained eight concussions and played an average of only 59 games per season. A long dispute with his first team, the Philadelphia Flyers, led to his trade to the New York Rangers in the summer of 2001.

Lindros clashed with general manager Bob Clarke and other Flyers officials, largely because he questioned the medical treatment he received while with Philadelphia.

After three years with the Rangers, Lindros moved on to Toronto -- the team he grew up rooting for. But he lasted only one season with the Maple Leafs. At 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds, he could provide the Stars with some much-needed size if he can stay healthy.
"If we were to get him, I think he would add an interesting element to our team," Stars coach Dave Tippett told the Dallas Morning News on Friday. "He's a big, strong player who is defensively responsible, and he can also play the right wing if you need him to. I just think he's ready for a big season."

In 711 NHL games, Lindros tallied 367 goals and 472 assists. He was the NHL MVP in 1995 and followed up the next season with a career-best 115 points for the Flyers.

With the Stars, Lindros likely would fill the second-line center role vacated when Jason Arnott signed with Nashville. Mike Modano anchors the top line.

Lindros would be the highest-profile player among several offseason additions for Dallas. Already, the Stars have signed free-agent forwards Jeff Halpern and Matthew Barnaby, and traded for defenseman Darryl Sydor. In addition to Arnott, the club also has lost Bill Guerin, releasing him for salary-cap reasons.

atrewsfan · 07-16-2006, 11:00 PM

I guess we needed a replacement for J. Arnott, but Lindros has been concussed so many times that with all the dents in it the surface of his head probably resembles that of a golf ball's. If he plays more than 60 games without getting injured, it'll be a minor miracle.

Flacolaco · 07-17-2006, 11:08 AM

I dont want to go watch Eric Lindros in my beloved Stars uniform. The guy is a skating disaster.

Id like to see him (now that hes here) on the 2nd line with Morrow, and I guess Stu Barnes. Barnes filled in very nicely for Guerin on that line last year when Guerin was out. This will be Morrows year to shine, plus its a contract year for him.

Stay healthy Lindros, you big thug.

I wish there was a Stars message board that had nearly the quality and following that this one does....

sike · 07-17-2006, 11:31 AM

this would have blow me away....7 years ago....

Five-ofan · 07-17-2006, 03:19 PM

He used to be so awesome. The thing is he is so big and talented that he never had to learn to play hockey the right way. That is how he got most of his concussions. Everyone who has ever played hockey learns when they first start not to skate with their head down. When he was a phenom, he was so much bigger and stronger and faster than everyone else that no one would or could hit him. Then when he got to the nhl and there were others who were bigger, he never could adjust his bad habits that he formed at a younger age. When healthy he is still very good but his health is always in jeopardy.

Flacolaco · 07-17-2006, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sike

this would have blow me away....7 years ago....

Yeah. It's amazing how a big Super Star becomes a career spare because of some concussions....

ames7 · 07-17-2006, 11:15 PM

I really believe that this is a stop-gap move. I think Army's plan is to wait until next summer & spend then to get a true #1 center & move Modano to #2 center for the last few years of his career. It's a risk-reward move, it's not a lot of money, there aren't just a ton of better options out there. I don't expect a lot from him, but who knows? Maybe he'll be a pleasant surprise. He was producing last year until Steve Ott took him out for the year w/that wrist thing.

I was kinda depressed about the Stars' offseason, but I think if Army can flip one of the defenseman for a scoring forward, we won't be that bad off. To be real... they kinda needed to shake up the core anyway.

Quote:

I wish there was a Stars message board that had nearly the quality and following that this one does....

It's not as great as this board, but I like the U boards: http://www.starsboard.com/forum The people there are a lot more hockey-smart than the ones on the official boards, IMO. The Andrews board is pretty good too: http://www.andrewsstarspage.com/appiesboard