Flyers, Lindros Again At Odds

The Philadelphia Flyers are determined to have a say where Eric Lindros plays.

Lindros, a restricted free agent who turned down an $8.5-million qualifying offer from the Flyers last summer, has said he wants to play only for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The star center might have to wait four years to get his wish.

“Most of us in the league feel the same way: Why the heck should Eric pick his team?” Philadelphia General Manager Bob Clarke said Saturday in a radio interview between periods of Philadelphia’s 4-1 victory at Florida.

“When he’s 31 and an unrestricted free agent, he can do that--if that team wants him. To say at 27 years old, ‘I’m only going to play in Toronto,’ he might be sitting . . . for four years.”

On Thursday, Flyer Chairman Ed Snider told Clarke to stop negotiating with Toronto, saying the Maple Leafs “offered us absolutely nothing for Eric.”

Snider said another team had made an offer for Lindros far better than one Toronto made. Clarke later denied reports that the Islanders were the unidentified team and that Lindros refused to accept the trade.

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Pittsburgh reacquired former Stanley Cup star Kevin Stevens from Philadelphia and also traded defenseman Jiri Slegr to Atlanta for a third-round draft pick.

The Flyers received defenseman John Slaney, who had 12 goals and 37 assists in 49 games at the Penguins’ Wilkes Barre/Scranton farm club.

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Tampa Bay center Vincent Lecavalier, tied for the team scoring lead with 34 points on 15 goals and 19 assists, has a broken foot and will be sidelined two to four weeks.