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PHILADELPHIA -- Eric Lindros won't be traded to the Toronto
Maple Leafs, Philadelphia Flyers general manager Bob Clarke said
Thursday.
Clarke, in Florida for this weekend's NHL draft, told Maple
Leafs general manager Pat Quinn he's out of the running for the
star center.
"We just couldn't get together on it," Clarke said. "We've
been trying for eight months. It wasn't going anywhere. We won't be
trading him to Toronto."
Lindros has been seeking a trade since rejecting an $8.5 million
qualifying offer from the Flyers last summer because of a
contentious relationship with Clarke.
Neither Carl Lindros, Eric's father and agent, nor Gord Kirke,
his attorney could immediately be reached for comment.
Clarke wants to deal Lindros before July 1, when the NHL's free
agency period begins. With Toronto out of the mix, Detroit appears
to be the front-runner to get Lindros.
However, Toronto is the only team that already had agreed to a
contract with Lindros.
Center Nik Antropov and defensemen Danny Markov and Dmitry
Yushkevich are among the players the Maple Leafs have reportedly
been shopping for Lindros. Clarke apparently was holding out for
puck-carrying defenseman Tomas Kaberle.
The 28-year-old Lindros, who has a history of concussions,
hasn't played since a check from New Jersey's Scott Stevens gave
him his sixth concussion 13 months ago.
After being cleared to resume skating in November, Lindros said
he only wanted to play for his hometown Maple Leafs. In February, a
trade between Toronto and Philadelphia fell through at the last
minute, adding another chapter to the bitter feud between the
Lindros family and the Flyers.
The Maple Leafs and Flyers discussed a deal for Lindros again
before the NHL's trade deadline on March 13, but couldn't complete
it.
Three days before the trade deadline, Lindros said he also would
accept a trade to three other teams: Detroit, Washington and St.
Louis.
The Blues brought Lindros in for a physical on the eve of the
deadline, but eventually acquired Keith Tkachuk from Phoenix.
Wednesday, the
Globe and Mail newspaper reported the LEafs were still interested in acquiring Lindros.
The newspaper, quoting three NHL sources, said the Maple
Leafs and Flyers had resumed trade talks and a deal would possibly have been completed
by the weekend.
Information from Reuters was used in this report.
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AUDIO/VIDEO
Tired of all the trade talks, Flyers' GM Bob Clarke says Eric Lindros is killing his own career.
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Flyers GM Bob Clarke just couldn't get a deal done to send Eric Lindros to Toronto.
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Negotiations are over for a Eric Lindros trade according to Maple Leafs GM Pat Quinn.
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