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Sunday, August 26, 2001

By Dejan Kovacevic, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

Mario Lemieux was asked this week what he thought of the Rangers acquiring Eric Lindros, and he delivered a few accolades.

"If he's healthy, if he plays the whole season ... he's a hell of a player. He's still young."

Lemieux then paused.

"But there is that risk that one hit could put him out for the rest of his career."

Right. And that risk is one that not even the megamillions of the Madison Square Garden empire can properly insure.

Lindros, 28, has been diagnosed with six concussions, including no fewer than three of the most severe variety. He has had no concussion symptoms since June 2000 -- a month after the Devils' Scott Stevens drilled him with that famous, open-ice shoulder check -- but that does nothing to lessen the gravity of his medical situation.

One hit is all it will take. Just one. And it doesn't necessarily have to be a highlight-reel blow, either.

Remember Aleksey Morozov's strange concussion in the 1998-99 season? He was struck in the chin by the tip of teammate German Titov's stick blade, felt nothing at the time, then had headaches for the next few months.

Lindros, by all accounts, is ready. He has strengthened the muscles in his neck to improve his head's ability to absorb violent shocks. He has done on-ice drills to heighten his awareness of oncoming foes. And, of course, he has had 16 months without hockey to refresh.

But perhaps the most difficult adjustment will be to his approach. He is 6 feet 4, 230 pounds, and he always has played a big man's game, embracing any opportunity to deliver a big check and relishing those occasions when opponents would bounce off him harmlessly.

He seems ready mentally, too.

"Once things settle down here," Lindros told reporters in New York Monday, "I think people will see this as a once-in-a-lifetime chance to get Eric Lindros."

The Rangers can only hope that once-in-a-lifetime chance means more than one shift.

Icy chips

Although the Kings denied they were in the running for Jaromir Jagr in July because of financial constraints, they made it clear to the Flyers last week they were interested in Lindros before he was sent to New York. Are there really executives in the league who believe Lindros is a more valuable commodity than Jagr at this point?

Where did the Red Wings find $9 million to pay Brett Hull over the next two years? From other players. In what's thought to be an unprecedented gesture in the league, Chris Chelios, Brendan Shanahan and Steve Yzerman agreed to restructure contracts to make room for Hull. It's worth noting that Hull, too, took $1 million less than what the Rangers and Canadiens were offering him.

Top payroll in the league won't belong to the Rangers, Avalanche or Flyers. It likely will be Detroit at an NHL-record $60 million.

For the first time in years, the Canadiens were willing to spend big to improve, but no top talents -- unless you count Yanic Perreault -- were willing to play in Montreal. Such a concept was unthinkable as recently as a decade ago.

Officials at the NHL Players Association are predicting that the average player's salary will be $1.45 million this season. That's up by about $400,000 from last season.

Goaltenders continue to inch their way up the pay scale. Olaf Kolzig's five-year, $31 million deal with the Capitals will pay him $6 million this season, ranking fourth after Dominik Hasek at $9 million, Patrick Roy at $8.5 million and Curtis Joseph at $6.45 million.

Your Olympic gold medalist in hockey next February? How about Russia? All the national team has lacked for years is a respected general manager and coach -- remember Pavel Bure and others refusing to play in Nagano? -- but the federation's decision this week to tab Slava Fetisov for both posts should serve as an inspiration.

A footnote for history: Former Penguins goaltender Wendell Young, 38, retired this week as the only man in hockey history to win all four major North American titles. He won the Stanley Cup, Memorial Cup, Calder Cup and Turner Cup. With the demise of the IHL, that crown will remain his forever.

Only 38 days until the puck drops between Lemieux and Joe Sakic.

Dejan Kovacevic can be reached at dkovacevic@ post-gazette.com.