Now that the knocked-down, dragged-out and nearly weeklong affair known as the Eric Lindros trade to the Rangers has finally come to fruition ... when does the real fight start?

	Eric Lindros will have to try and dispel the doubts surrounding his history of health problems.

Expect the verbal volleys to begin in earnest Monday, when in a midday press conference Lindros is expected to be introduced at Madison Square Garden as the Rangers' next great veteran savior. And lining up right behind him will be free agent Brett Hull, who sources say has all but committed to signing a contract with the Rangers.

It was the complexity of the Lindros contract that delayed his release from the Flyers for several days. But late Friday night, various sources in New York and Toronto were confirming that insurance questions had been resolved and that Lindros had signed a four-year contract with the Rangers theoretically worth $37 million.

Sources said the Rangers filed the trade with the league Friday night, and one report had the NHL office already issuing approval of the transfer of the star center to the Rangers for winger Jan Hlavac, defenseman Kim Johnsson, primo prospect Pavel Brendl and a middle-round draft pick.

Should Lindros' comeback be short-circuited early next season by a career-ending injury -- such as another severe concussion -- the Rangers would receive a first-round draft pick from the Flyers. Otherwise, Philadelphia fans have circled Sept. 20 as a date to look forward to as the Rangers are scheduled to play an exhibition game in First Union Center.

For dramatic effect, it wouldn't be surprising if Lindros were kept out of that game. His grand Philadelphia return wouldn't come until Jan. 12.

Of course, there are those who doubt that Lindros, who suffered six concussions of varying degrees from March 7, 1998 through May 26, 2000, will last that long. Many of the non-believers probably work in the insurance industry.

Lindros' new contract will initially be guaranteed for just one year at a base between $2.5-$2.8 million, lower than what was first agreed upon. His father and agent, Carl Lindros, apparently sacrificed a few hundred guaranteed grand to decrease premiums on injury insurance policies.

The contract calls for a series of incentive clauses during that first year, mostly based on games played. Should Lindros make it through that first season healthy, it's believed he'll receive three more guaranteed years from the Rangers at incremental rates averaging $9.5 million per season.

But sources within the Rangers organization have confirmed that the club could not obtain a policy covering concussions. Neither Lindros' attorney Gord Kirke or Eric Lindros returned messages late Friday night, but Kirke told reporters Thursday, "There will probably be an exclusion for concussions."

It's speculated that the Rangers will be able to obtain a future policy on concussions should Lindros not suffer one next season. But if that's just wishful thinking and Lindros doesn't make it through this first season healthy, the Rangers would apparently assume a huge risk over the last three years, considering Lindros' concussion history.

Then again, Lindros has had a maximum recovery period -- guidelines indicate a full year out of action should offer sufficient recovery time in even the most severe of concussion cases. And his tour of medical examinations in three cities over three days was a healthy success.

Lindros flew from Toronto to Chicago late Wednesday afternoon and was examined by his favorite neurologist, Dr. James Kelly. He then flew directly to New York and spent Thursday enduring a battery of tests by Ranger-paid doctors. Then Thursday night, it was off to Montreal, where he spent an additional five hours on Friday being tested by neurologist Karen Johnson at Montreal General Hospital.

Love those frequent ex-Flyer miles.

But no love lost with the Flyers.

Said one member of Philadelphia's organization about Lindros: "It's always a circus around Eric. Just play hockey. It's a pretty good life. Let your hockey playing speak for yourself."

A tame first volley. But considering the cold war that was waged between Flyers management and the Lindros family over the past couple of years ... those press conferences in New York and Philadelphia early next week ought to be doozies.

As for now, Flyers president Bob Clarke was making himself unavailable Friday night, but as the deal neared completion, he sounded like somebody in dire need of a huge sigh of relief.

With the trade still hung up Thursday night, Clarke told Canadian cable network TSN that if the Rangers didn't get the deal finalized by the Clarke-imposed deadline Friday, he had another team waiting to make a Lindros trade.

This was a bolt from the blue to Broadway. Though Rangers president Glen Sather wouldn't comment, he privately was said to be stunned by Clarke's revelations that he'd been having discussions with "a Western Conference club" about Lindros.

It was immediately found out the club was the Los Angeles Kings, though Clarke's contention that a trade with L.A. could have come quickly together was probably more bluster than blunt honesty.

Before his deadline came and went, it was Clarke who was gone. He declined comment Friday afternoon as he left the Skate Zone practice facility and headed for his Ocean City, N.J. retreat, except for this one statement dished out by his spokesman: "I expect the trade between the Flyers and the New York Rangers will be resolved on Monday."

Perhaps Clarke knew the (bitter)sweet end was really just hours away.

"All last winter our hands were so tied, because we never knew what we'd get in a deal with Lindros," Clarke said . "My trying to make trades was almost impossible because we didn't have much depth. But signing free agents this summer, we now have some depth. That allowed other teams who didn't want to give up centermen to at least talk to us about wingers and defensemen. That helped everybody."

Clarke also knows Lindros will help the Rangers, though he will have no problem coming out and saying that the baggage Lindros carries -- such as injuries and parental influence -- will affect the Rangers as it had his own club.

That's why Clarke has stated all along that his first choice for a Lindros trade was New York -- the Flyers' most naturally hated rival, and a team that last made a trade with Philly 15 years ago.

Of course, adding Lindros and possibly Hull to the cast of veteran New York characters could make for a volatile mix, both on and off the ice. Should Lindros' health hold out and his competitive fire be reignited, he could wind up having a monster season, and making the Flyers a five-time victim.

But then there are those who say that Lindros' health history is just an invitation to trouble. That he will be a 6-foot-4 marked man with hit men such as historic tormentor Scott Stevens of the Devils -- who gave Lindros concussion No. 6 -- or even a few ex-Flyers teammates eager to take their best shots.

"Well, we'll see," said Kirke. "We'll see what everybody has to say about Eric after seeing what he'll do this season. We know what he's capable of doing when he's healthy."

While Lindros may have a few chances to remind his former team just how gifted he is, the talent that Clarke has assembled over the past couple of months is rather remarkable.

To a team that really wasn't very far away, the Flyers have stabilized all their weak points. Johnsson and free-agent acquisition Eric Weinrich will add much-needed mobility and savvy to the Flyers' defensive corps. Then there are newly signed centers Jeremy Roenick and Jiri Dopita, one a longtime NHL star living on his own planet, the other considered the best player in the world not playing in the NHL.

If Dopita lives up to his international billing, the Flyers will have the strongest group of centers of any NHL team outside of Denver.

On wing, they'll have Lindros' ex-mate John LeClair, who made Clarke's summer of success possible by taking him up on a $45 million invitation to stick around another five years. With LeClair back, there was just one third-line hole to be filled on wing, and blossoming young forward Hlavac, who scored 28 goals last season with much less talent to play with, seems a nice fit.

Then there's Brendl. Considered the "wild card" in this trade, the former No. 4 overall pick teed off Rangers management by again showing up for summer prospects camp out of shape. But the 20-year-old who has drawn many comparisons to a young Jaromir Jagr has also scored 172 goals in his last three junior seasons. A change of scenery might turn a light on for him.

Take this new talent and add it to a team that already had LeClair, Keith Primeau, Mark Recchi, Simon Gagne and Rick Tocchet up front, and the Flyers appear to have three scoring lines of depth and power. Suddenly, they're the team to beat in the East.

But Eric Lindros is going to give that his own best shot.

Rob Parent covers the NHL for the Delaware County (Pa.) Times. He is a regular contributor to ESPN.com.