CALGARY – If Glen Sather wanted to make a splashing debut as the Rangers general manager, he pulled it off yesterday by affirming that he was pursuing a trade for Eric Lindros.
“We want to make a deal,” Sather said. “If he’s healthy and can play, then yeah (the Rangers want him).”
With permission from the Flyers, Sather said he spoke with the five-time all-star Saturday to get an update on Lindros’ condition. Lindros, 27, suffered his fourth concussion of the season, and the sixth of his career, on a punishing check to his chin by the Devils’ Scott Stevens in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals.
Considering his concussion history, Lindros’ career appeared in serious jeopardy. But Sather said Lindros assured him he was recovering nicely and that he wasn’t ready to retire.
“I asked him how he felt and he said he felt better every day,” Sather said during the second day of the Entry Draft at the Saddledome. “He told me he just wants to continue playing.”
Flyers general manager Bobby Clarke said the Rangers were one of five teams that have contacted him about Lindros. He said the Rangers, Kings and Maple Leafs were showing the most serious interest, while the Stars and Hurricanes were involved as well.
Sather, who was named general manager and president on June 1, indicated Lindros could be acquired for draft picks alone.
“I think you could say that,” he said.
A restricted free agent, Lindros is expected to receive a qualifying offer from the Flyers this week of $8.5 million, matching his 2000 salary. The Rangers, who had a league-high $61 million payroll last year, would apparently be willing to take on Lindros’ contract, despite the uncertainty about his future.
However, Sather said that before agreeing to a deal, he would have to see Lindros’ medical report from neurologist James Kelly of Chicago.
It was Kelly who cleared Lindros to play in Game 6 against the Devils when a neuropsychological baseline test determined he had recovered from his May 4 concussion.
Lindros’ eight-year Flyer career was expected to end whether he suffered the Game 7 concussion or not. Clarke and Lindros had a rocky relationship during the season, which only grew worse in late March when Clarke stripped Lindros of his captaincy. That decision came after Lindros criticized the team’s training and medical staff over treatment for his headaches and a concussion that he may have suffered on March 4.
After not playing since March 12, Lindros, who had 27 goals and 32 assists in 55 games last season, made a daring return for Game 6, in which he scored a goal in the Flyers loss. Prior to the game, he had one full-team practice.
Several of his teammates had expressed a lukewarm reaction to his comeback.
His return, however, came to an abrupt halt in the first period of Game 7. With his head down as he skated over the blue line with the puck, the 6-foot-4, 236-pound Lindros was popped by Stevens, sending him to the hospital.
While Sather admitted his interest in Lindros, Toronto coach and GM Pat Quinn wasn’t pleased that Clarke mentioned the Maple Leafs.
“This is sensitive stuff,” Quinn said.
Meanwhile, Sather said he wasn’t concerned about having to deal with Lindros’ parents, whom Clarke felt were obtrusive. Lindros’ father, Carl, doubles as his agent.
“I have no concern over his parents, absolutely none,” Sather said. “The only concern I have is about his health.”