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| Lindros |
VOORHEES, N.J. -- Philadelphia Flyers general manager Bob
Clarke lifted the Friday deadline for the New York Rangers to sign
Eric Lindros, a source close to the negotiations told The
Associated Press.
The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it's
unlikely the trade will be completed before Monday.
"We're still talking and we're still optimistic," Lindros'
lawyer, Gord Kirke, said Friday.
Clarke said Thursday night that another team was interested in
trading for the restricted free agent. By lifting the deadline,
Clarke won't listen to other offers unless the deal with the
Rangers falls through.
The Rangers and Flyers have agreed on the players involved in
the deal. Carl Lindros, Eric's father and agent, and New York
general manager Glen Sather also have agreed on a contract
reportedly worth about $37 million over four years.
The sticking point is getting insurance on the contract. Lindros
hasn't played since May 26, 2000 after a check from New Jersey's
Scott Stevens in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals gave him
his sixth concussion in 27 months.
Lindros took a physical in New York on Thursday and was to go to
Montreal to see another neurologist on Friday. He saw Dr. James
Kelly in Chicago on Wednesday. Clarke said Lindros has passed all
his exams.
The Rangers would send forward Jan Hlavac, defenseman Kim
Johnsson, young forward Pavel Brendl and a middle-round draft pick
to Philadelphia for Lindros.
The Flyers also would give the Rangers a conditional first-round
draft pick if Lindros failed to play a certain number of games.
Lindros, 28, sat out last season after rejecting an $8.5 million
qualifying offer from the Flyers. He refused to return to the team
because of a contentious relationship with Clarke.
Once he was cleared to resume skating last November, Lindros
said he only would play for his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs. Days
before the trade deadline in March, Lindros added St. Louis,
Detroit and Washington to his list. He added the Rangers to the
list last month.
A source said the Los Angeles Kings are the other team now
interested in Lindros.
The Flyers have come close to dealing Lindros to Toronto, the
New York Islanders, St. Louis, Detroit and Edmonton. But each time
the deal fell through.
Clarke has said he doesn't care if Lindros ever plays again, and
was willing to let him sit until he became an unrestricted free
agent in 2004.
But this deal is too good to pass up for the Flyers.
The Rangers, shut out in free agency this summer, have long
desired Lindros. New York actually traded for the star center nine
years ago, but the deal was voided by an arbitrator.
After Lindros refused to play for the Quebec Nordiques, who had
made him the No. 1 overall pick in the 1991 entry draft, both the
Flyers and Rangers claimed to have made a deal to acquire him in
1992.
The NHL appointed an independent arbitrator, Toronto lawyer
Larry Bertuzzi, to decide the issue and he awarded Lindros to
Philadelphia.
In eight injury-filled seasons with the Flyers, Lindros had 290
goals and 369 assists. He made six All-Star teams and won the MVP
award in 1995, but Philadelphia lost its only Stanley Cup final
with him.
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