The Rangers were under the gun to make a deal for Eric Lindros, but GM Glen Sather is the best I've ever seen when he has a gun to his head. Flyers GM Bobby Clarke had all the leverage in the deal because he signed center Jeremy Roenick and defenseman Eric Weinrich. So Clarke wanted to exact some kind of punishment and was in no hurry to make the deal unless he got exactly what he wanted.

That said, Sather had to make the Lindros deal because he was unable to land Jaromir Jagr. But with Jagr, Sather would have gotten a certain 120-point player who plays the majority of the games. With Lindros, his career could be over with one hit. Besides the concussions, though, he has had an injury-riddled career, suffering from knee problems. Giving up Kim Johnsson, Jan Hlavac and Pavel Brendl and a draft pick is a lot to pay for a player who may not even make it through the season.

But as a big-market team that was inactive in the free-agent market, the Rangers really had to make a move, something Clarke was aware of. He could play the waiting game. On the other hand, Sather had to be careful not to run after the deal too hard. He couldn't just sign Lindros to make up for losing Jagr. If Lindros is injured halfway through the season, where would the Rangers be?

A healthy Lindros can offer a lot to the Rangers. He's a marquee player. With Lindros and Petr Nedved, they have two strong centers. I would never call Lindros a great player because he has never won a championship and has had trouble staying healthy. But he is a force and an impact player. And the Rangers could use any impact.

Former NHL center Bill Clement is a hockey analyst for ESPN.