Eric Lindros is finally – finally! – in the Hockey Hall of Fame. It’s more than overdue, and it’s absolutely wonderful to see him finally in there.
His career started with controversy: one that launched the Lindros trade tree, as he refused to play for the Quebec Nordiques who had drafted him first overall, resulting in the Philadelphia Flyers dishing out a number of assets to acquire him.
Through the years, those assets have been traded again and again and again, making their way throughout the league over the course of nearly 24 years. The final active asset was Brandon Gormley, and when the Colorado Avalanche denied to qualify his contract, he became an unrestricted free agent: a floating asset that no longer ties back in to anything else.
Lindros was inducted, and the tree died, a mere three days from the 24 year anniversary of the trade. It’s kinda poetic.
