Sidney Crosby Injury: Eric Lindros and 13 "Next Ones" That Haven't Panned

Pressure is a funny thing. It can turn some players into prime time performers, while it unravels far too many careers. Some guys just can't handle it.

Injuries, poor discipline and the improper surrounding can all derail a player's career. Not many people get the chance to be the next big thing. Even fewer capitalize on it.

Let's take a look at the lucky 13 who were unable to live up to their massive expectations.

Alexander Daigle

Alexander Daigle was going to be the player that revived the Ottawa Senators. Until, of course, he wasn't.

Daigle was the can't miss prospect of the 1993 NHL Draft, and plenty of teams were trying to acquire the top pick from the Senators to grab him. The Sens opted to hang onto the pick, and what a regrettable decision it was. Daigle had a few 50 point years, but ended up being traded three times during his career.

The fact that the Senators could have had Chris Pronger makes the selection of Daigle even more depressing.

Alexander Svitov

The Tampa Bay Lightning were an organization in disarray when they drafted Alexander Svitov back in 2001. He was supposed to turn the organization around. 63 games and eight points later, Svitov was one of the biggest disappointments in Tampa Bay Lightning history.

Patrick Stefan

In 1999, the Atlanta Thrashers were still searching for the first true face of their franchise. They thought first overall draft choice, Patrick Stefan, could fill that role. Stefan managed a couple of decent seasons, but considering what his classmates, Henrik Zetterberg and the Sedin Twins, have done, Stefan was a colossal failure.

Scott Scissons

NHL players take time to develop. The New York Islanders are still waiting for Scott Scissons to blossom as an NHL star.

Despite being drafted sixth overall in the 1990 NHL Draft, Scott Scissons never recorded an NHL point. He was supposed to be a building block for the Islanders, instead Scissons was a memorable slip up for Long Island's hockey team.

Oh, and the Islanders could have selected Martin Brodeur. 

Daniel Tkaczuk

Daniel Tkacuk was drafted to be a cornerstone of the Calgary Flames. The Flames spent the sixth overall draft choice on Tkacuk only to have him collect 11 points for the organization.

Tkacuk still plays hockey, but needless to say, his NHL career was short lived.

Brian Lawton

Brian Lawton was expected to put United States hockey on the map. Instead, he went on to a very mediocre career after being selected first overall in the 1983 NHL Draft.

Lawton was selected ahead of greats that included Steve Yzerman and Cam Neely.

Ray Martyniuk

The Montreal Canadiens will never know if Ray Martyniuk was the answer between the pipes, considering the fact that the goaltender, drafted fifth overall in 1970, never played in an NHL game for the organization.

Lucky for Montreal, the team managed to have some success with other goaltenders, such as Patrick Roy and Ken Dryden, which makes Martyniuk a distant afterthought.

Alexandre Volchkov

The Washington Capitals struck gold when they selected Russian, Alexander Ovechkin first overall in the 2004 NHL Draft.

However, before hitting a homerun with Ovi, the Caps swung and missed on Alexandre Volchkov. Volchkov was the fourth overall pick in the 1996 NHL Draft and never managed a single point with the Capitals. He played only three games with the club.

Cam Neely

Considering how great Cam Neely was, it is scary to think that the Bruins President could have been even more dominant during his NHL career.

Neely was only able to play until the age of 31, when knee and hip injuries caused the bruising power forward to call it quits. Neely is left to wonder what could have been with the Boston Bruins.

Pat LaFontaine

Pat LaFontiane was of the rare breed of players that broke into the league at the age of 18 years old. LaFontaine was immediately productive and managed over 1,000 points in his career, despite playing in just over 800 games.

Unfortuantely, LaFontaine had to call it quites at the ripe age of 33 thanks to concussion issues.

Mike Bossy

Mike Bossy was on a torrid pace to start his career. Ninety point seasons were down years for Bossy. However, back injuries ended his career prematurely.

Bossy had the insane statistics and Stanley Cup rings to potentially stack up to the Great One if he had played a bit longer. His injury was devastating to the game of hockey.

Pavel Bure

Pavel Bure possessed the rare goal scoring ability that caused many to anoint the Russian as "the next big thing."

Like many before him, however, Bure was the victim of knee injuries that would slowly erode his career. Bure never managed to truly tap into his goal scoring potential, but the brief glimpses of greatness he showed left hockey fans everywhere in a state of disbelief. Just imagine what could have been.

Eric Lindros

The Philadelphia Flyers traded the house to acquire Eric Lindros. Lindros was considered to be one of the greatest prospects in the history of the NHL. Many thought he could match Gretzky's greatness.

However, despite a career that was at times outstanding, Lindros never lived up to his immense potential due to a long battle with concussions. It's a true shame when injuries derail what could have been one of the greatest careers hockey has ever seen.