Orr had issues with his knee from his first season in the league. Obviously it was degenerative and his playstyle didn't do it any favours so by the time he retired it was pretty much bone rubbing on bone. But he suffered his entire career with it.
At the age of 27 he scores 46 goals playing on 1 leg during an era where you protected the lead instead of running up the score. That off-season he has 174276th knee surgery which finally does him in. it's crazy to think we never saw Orr in his prime and healthy.
Lemieux had his fair share of struggles as well, to say the least, but I think Orr and his knee is one of the biggest what-if questions in sports.
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