ESPN Network: ESPN.com NBA.com NHL.com WNBA.com ... Other sports ALSO SEE Lindros was 1995 NHL MVP Great expectations haunt talented Lindros By Bob Carter Special to ESPN.com "We're going to look back and say, 'Wow, what could have been with this guy. And what still could be.' I haven't closed the book on Eric because this one's going to have more pages than War and Peace," says Michael Farber of Sports Illustrated in ESPN Classic's SportsCentury series. Even as a 16-year-old, Eric Lindros' body seemed out of place. So huge, so strong, so striking when matched against his peers. Lindros wheeled his 6-foot-4, 220-pound frame, so perfect for the football field, around hockey rinks with the aggressiveness of an enforcer and the dexterity of someone much smaller. A tough guy with speed, finesse and scoring ability. Eric Lindros was traded from Philadelphia to the New York Rangers in 2001. Cut from the mold of Mark Messier, his childhood hero, Lindros was projected to follow Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux in the pecking order of stars. Reporters dubbed him "The Next One," although "The Big One" might have better fit his size, ego and hype. "The best 16-year-old player I've ever seen," said Philadelphia Flyers general manager Bobby Clarke, who would become his boss and then antagonist. "He could play in the NHL right now." | |
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