How Would The Sharks Fare if they got the 1st Overall Pick in 1991?

[WheresJoe]

The Sharks were given the 2nd overall pick in 1991 and not the 1st because they were an expansion team. However, in 1992 the Lightning were given the 1st overall pick because they WERE an expansion team. Now this decision was probably based on Lindros, but that's why I came here to post that. If the Sharks got the 1st overall pick in 1991 and drafted Eric Lindros how would it affect the Sharks and the National Hockey League? How would Eric Lindros do considering he would not be playing in the same division as Scott Stevens?

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[unknown33]

Do you think Eric Lindros would have played for the Shark?

Getting traded for sure.

 

[Derick*]

Are we sure that he wouldn't have? Iirc the reason he didn't want to play for Quebec was the language barrier.

 

[Mayor Bee]

Do you think Eric Lindros would have played for the Shark?

Getting traded for sure.

I"d say he absolutely would have played for San Jose. His (read: mommy and daddy's) objections to Quebec were based on the langauge barrier, an alien culture, and an extremely bad team. Basically, it would hurt "the Lindros image" and endorsement opportunities to play there.

But in San Jose, there would be no language barrier and a lot of young rich men in the area. In addition, San Jose had achieved the astonishing feat of getting more attention in mainstream culture than any NHL team in history simply by unveiling their logo and teal jerseys....basically, more non-hockey fans knew the Sharks than any other team before they ever played a game.

For anyone under about age 25, it's difficult to overstate the enormous backlash against the Sharks for their logo and jerseys. For the most part, any time I hear someone sneering about the Americanization of hockey, it basically started at that point.

 

[unknown33]

Are we sure that he wouldn't have? Iirc the reason he didn't want to play for Quebec was the language barrier.

One of the reasons.

Others were small hockey market, lack of marketing potential, unclear future of the franchise which all pretty much apply to any expansion team.

 

[unknown33]

I"d say he absolutely would have played for San Jose. His (read: mommy and daddy's) objections to Quebec were based on the langauge barrier, an alien culture, and an extremely bad team. Basically, it would hurt "the Lindros image" and endorsement opportunities to play there.

But in San Jose, there would be no language barrier and a lot of young rich men in the area. In addition, San Jose had achieved the astonishing feat of getting more attention in mainstream culture than any NHL team in history simply by unveiling their logo and teal jerseys....basically, more non-hockey fans knew the Sharks than any other team before they ever played a game.

For anyone under about age 25, it's difficult to overstate the enormous backlash against the Sharks for their logo and jerseys. For the most part, any time I hear someone sneering about the Americanization of hockey, it basically started at that point.

Okay good points.

 

[TheMoreYouKnow]

The main fact would have remained that Lindros's style of play doesn't normally lead to a very long shelf life. I mean it's not like the Smythe/Pacific division didn't have a few characters around that would be willing to provide the same service as Scott Stevens.

 

[CaptBrannigan]

I"d say he absolutely would have played for San Jose. His (read: mommy and daddy's) objections to Quebec were based on the langauge barrier, an alien culture, and an extremely bad team. Basically, it would hurt "the Lindros image" and endorsement opportunities to play there.

But in San Jose, there would be no language barrier and a lot of young rich men in the area. In addition, San Jose had achieved the astonishing feat of getting more attention in mainstream culture than any NHL team in history simply by unveiling their logo and teal jerseys....basically, more non-hockey fans knew the Sharks than any other team before they ever played a game.

For anyone under about age 25, it's difficult to overstate the enormous backlash against the Sharks for their logo and jerseys. For the most part, any time I hear someone sneering about the Americanization of hockey, it basically started at that point.

Really? I'd be interested to hear more about that.

 

[Big Phil]

One of the reasons.

Others were small hockey market, lack of marketing potential, unclear future of the franchise which all pretty much apply to any expansion team.

Bottom line, just like in the OHL it was ALL about Eric Lindros and his wants despite never lacing up his skates in the NHL yet. Hey, Bonnie and Carl wouldn't have had their son sulk any other way.


You wonder if he'd have wanted to play in San Jose. He'd be a long ways away from Bonnie and wouldn't be able to rub her feet every night. That might have played into it. Plus in California they have earthquakes, what if our son dies in one of them? Trust me, if you knew the Lindros family back then there was always a complaint about SOMETHING or another.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

i think there is no chance that the league and its owners would have let a first year team get a franchise player like that. remember that in '93, the league wouldn't let the two expansion teams have any of the top three picks (because daigle, pronger, and gratton were supposed to be franchise-altering players).

but had he gone to the sharks, things could have been interesting. for one, they never would have drafted ray whitney if they hadn't already taken his junior linemate pat falloon second overall. would that second round pick have been ziggy palffy? lindros, palffy, and ozolinsh is a pretty awesome base to start a team-- they all became impact players much earlier than whitney did.

if lindros had given the sharks the privilege of having him play for them (yes, i'm being sarcastic), the '91 calder race becomes more interesting for sure. bure had a very good rookie year, but there is no way he wins in either '91 or '93 so it was a weaker calder for that era.

if lindros for whatever reason decides he won't play for san jose, that would probably have been more beneficial for the sharks hockey-wise, though not necessarily financially. all those picks (and the sharks were a pretty good drafting team), very good young players, and a ready to go starting goalie. they would have gotten that package no matter where they traded him.

as for lindros' career, i feel like he was tailor-made to play in that division, to go against big centers in messier, sundin, holik, and mario. in the more free-wheeling west, maybe what happened to thornton happens to lindros and he becomes more of a finesse guy than the force of nature he was in philly. i certainly think he would have lasted longer out there, but maybe he also would have been a less special player. or, on the other hand, maybe he eats the less physical smythe division for lunch and wins multiple MVPs.

maybe the more interesting question is what happens to the nords/avs with niedermayer but no forsberg, thibault/roy, hextall/deadmarsh, ricci/tanguay, duchesne, and simon. for one, it's almost a certainty they never trade sundin for clark, and so they don't get claude lemieux. could they still somehow get roy?

 

[tony d]

Another interesting question is this: If Lindros stays in San Jose, does Philly win a Cup in the 90's? They'd still have Forsberg in his prime. I can imagine a Forsberg-Leclair line lighting up for Philly even more than Lindros and Leclair.

 

[HabsByTheBay]

I"d say he absolutely would have played for San Jose. His (read: mommy and daddy's) objections to Quebec were based on the langauge barrier, an alien culture, and an extremely bad team. Basically, it would hurt "the Lindros image" and endorsement opportunities to play there.

But in San Jose, there would be no language barrier and a lot of young rich men in the area. In addition, San Jose had achieved the astonishing feat of getting more attention in mainstream culture than any NHL team in history simply by unveiling their logo and teal jerseys....basically, more non-hockey fans knew the Sharks than any other team before they ever played a game.

For anyone under about age 25, it's difficult to overstate the enormous backlash against the Sharks for their logo and jerseys. For the most part, any time I hear someone sneering about the Americanization of hockey, it basically started at that point.

Was it really that bad? I remember the expansion, but I grew up in the Bay Area so instead we were excited about everything. They really were a phenomenon in the area right up until the late 90s, I'd say. The uniforms were certainly eye-catchers but it's pretty funny people got so antagonistic about them considering they've arguably been the most successful Sun Belt/expansion franchise off the ice.

 

[spintheblackcircle]

For anyone under about age 25, it's difficult to overstate the enormous backlash against the Sharks for their logo and jerseys. For the most part, any time I hear someone sneering about the Americanization of hockey, it basically started at that point.

I'm 40 year old Sharks fan and lived in the Bay Area then. I don't recall much of a backlash at all.

 

[Hasbro]

It had more to do with EVERY expansion team in every league going with teal during the 90's.

 

[spintheblackcircle]

For anyone under about age 25, it's difficult to overstate the enormous backlash against the Sharks for their logo and jerseys. For the most part, any time I hear someone sneering about the Americanization of hockey, it basically started at that point.

This actually started with the expansion that brought the Kings/Flyers/Pens/Stars/Oakland/St Louis into the NHL.

I read an article from Sports Illustrated from the late 60's about how those American teams will ruin the NHL.

 

[No 19]

maybe the more interesting question is what happens to the nords/avs with niedermayer but no forsberg, thibault/roy, hextall/deadmarsh, ricci/tanguay, duchesne, and simon. for one, it's almost a certainty they never trade sundin for clark, and so they don't get claude lemieux. could they still somehow get roy?

1.Quebec still trades Sundin For Clark in 1994, Clark then traded for C.Lemieux. Quebec then trades 2 first round draft picks for Forsberg & Deadmarsh. Quebec gets Roy VIA Nolan/Fiset trade that was supposed to happen in 1995.

2.Quebec Keeps Sundin, trades Nolan/Fiset for Roy, trades a first round draft pick for Forsberg. Thibault is traded for C.Lemieux (Nordiques also had Garth Snow as one of their goalies late in the franchise history.)

 

[Buck Aki Berg]

This actually started with the expansion that brought the Kings/Flyers/Pens/Stars/Oakland/St Louis into the NHL.

I read an article from Sports Illustrated from the late 60's about how those American teams will ruin the NHL.

Every generation of expansion has brought on the "death knell" nonsense from someone. Unless it's expansion to Canada, in which case it's perfectly acceptable

 

[tarheelhockey]

in the more free-wheeling west, maybe what happened to thornton happens to lindros and he becomes more of a finesse guy than the force of nature he was in philly. i certainly think he would have lasted longer out there, but maybe he also would have been a less special player.

I honestly think this would have happened. It would have been a combination of:

1) Playing on a horrible team, where he would be the clear target every night.

2) Playing in a more finesse-oriented division.

3) Playing on a bad west coast team, well outside that Atlantic Division spotlight.

IMO he would have been a respected top-10 type player, but lost in the shuffle compared to the Hart-winning stature he achieved in Philly.

 

[sr edler]

everyone talks about the legion of doom but what about a line with eric, bonnie and carl?

 

[Theokritos]

...the langauge barrier, an alien culture, and an extremely bad team...

...small hockey market, lack of marketing potential, unclear future of the franchise...

Say what you want, but I think in the end it all comes down to money. In the mid of all the Lindros frenzy a deal between the Nordiques and the Red Wings was rumoured: Lindros to Detroit, Steve Yzerman to Quebec. Yzerman wasn't happy and went on record as saying: "I would never accept to play in Quebec. No matter what happened, I wouldn't go... I agree with Lindros on one point. Because of the taxes, the exchange rate on the dollar and the cost of living, it is financially very difficult to play in Quebec... People won't like what I say but it is strictly business. The owners always make business decisions so why not the players?"

 

[Jules Winnfield]

Worrying about Scott Stevens not being in the western conference is a moot point.

Lindros would've had to deal with Vladimir Konstantinov and Bryan Marchment (who I believe was with Chicago and Edmonton for a while).

Konstantinov was just as vicious an open ice checker as Stevens was.

 

[JT Dutch*]

It had more to do with EVERY expansion team in every league going with teal during the 90's.

... As I recall there was one in baseball (the Marlins) and one in football (the Jaguars) who did. Anyone else?

 

[Noldo]

Worrying about Scott Stevens not being in the western conference is a moot point.

Lindros would've had to deal with Vladimir Konstantinov and Bryan Marchment (who I believe was with Chicago and Edmonton for a while).

Konstantinov was just as vicious an open ice checker as Stevens was.

Makes quite an interesting "What if" -situation... What kind of cultural impact would it had, had the check that destroyed the Next One been delivered by a Russian player instead of another Canadian national hero in Stevens?

 

[tarheelhockey]

... As I recall there was one in baseball (the Marlins) and one in football (the Jaguars) who did. Anyone else?

The originals -- the NBA's Charlotte Hornets (1988).

 

[Big Phil]

everyone talks about the legion of doom but what about a line with eric, bonnie and carl?

they'd be terrible finishers. They'd have a bone to pick on pretty much every play