The trade that keeps giving. (Insider: NHL).

Looking back on the celebrated Eric Lindros trade 10 years later, it's easy to raise the arm of the Quebec Nordiques/ Colorado Avalanche and declare the franchise the clear winner.

On June 30, 1992, Lindros was sent to the Flyers for Peter Forsberg, Mike Ricci, Ron Hextall, Chris Simon, Kerry Huffman, Steve Duchesne, two first-round picks (one used to select Jocelyn Thibault and the other traded twice, eventually used by the Capitals to draft Nolan Baumgartner) and $15 million.

A decade later, all the Flyers have to show for the trade is an unsuccessful trip to the 1997 Stanley Cup finals. At the other end of the rink, the Avalanche has captured a pair of Stanley Cups, in 1996 and 2001.

The trade's tentacles continue to reach far and wide. For example, the Avalanche used components of the Lindros trade to later acquire superstar goalie Patrick Roy, left wing Alex Tanguay and defensemen Ray Bourque and Rob Blake. The trade has turned the Avs into perennial contenders. But are they the clear winners?

A case could be made that relative victories were scored by Lindros, Nordiques owner Marcel Aubut, the Flyers and the Rangers.

The Nordiques drafted Lindros first overall in 1991. But after Aubut failed in the next year to cajole Lindros to play in Quebec City--Lindros demanded a trade because he believed the Nordiques were not committed to winning, and he wanted to play in a bigger market--the Nordiques agreed to deal No. 88.

The problem was they traded Lindros to the Rangers and Flyers at the same time. Ten days later, league-appointed arbitrator Larry Bertuzzi made a black-and-white--and orange--decision. Lindros was a Flyer.