In the latest chapter in the annual Peter Forsberg ritual of speculation, Forsberg's broken foot has healed after taking a month off and he will suit up for the Swedish National team in next weekend's Karjala Cup.
Having endured numerous surgeries and failed attempts in returning to the ice, it seems that this time Forsberg is healthy enough to attract interest from scouts all over the league, including the Philadelphia Flyers
Assuming Foppa is healthy enough to make his way back to the NHL (a decision that must be made by December 1st if he is to play this year) let's take an in depth fantasy look at where Forsberg might end up and what kind of Fantasy Hockey impact he'd have. Remember, this is all speculation until Forsberg proves he's healthy.
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With his latest surgery allowing Forsberg to skate better than he had in years, he quickly tallied 3 goals and an assist in his first three games with Modo of the Swedish Elite League, before a stress fracture on the top of his foot removed him from the ice in the latest setback.
Now apparently healthy, Forsberg once again suits up for Team Sweden whom he has previously led not just to a World Championship, but a Gold Medal in the Olympics as well. In an Olympic year, that bigger prize is important to note. Even if Forsberg can't get it together in time for the NHL's December 1st free agent signing deadline, hockey fans might still see him play in Vancouver during this year's Winter Games.
So where might Forsberg go? Let's break it down:
NO WAY IN HELL:
This is the easiest category for one reason: Foppa won't come back to play for a mediocre squad, he wants another Cup. So forget about it Toronto fans, no dice Tampa Bay or Columbus. You are delusional if you think he ends up in Florida, Minnesota or Phoenix. No offense Buffalo, Dallas or St. Louis, but Forsberg is not headed your way either. I'm not even gonna say what you Islander fans already know. You too, Carolina and New Jersey!
MIGHT BE FUN, BUT NO:
The upstart Oilers are a speedy squad with lots of potential. and I'd love to see Forsberg wearing the Oilers colors. Won't happen. Calgary could use a Center for Iggy, but that too is a pipe dream. Los Angeles would be an interesting place, if only for the possibility of Forsberg playing for Terry Murray again. Not interesting enough for either party to pursue it.
A healthy Forsberg playing with Kovalchuk would almost guarantee Kovy re-signs with Atlanta. Alas, the Thrashers are more than one player away from being a contender, despite their strong start. Boston would be fun to imagine, but they've had enough of dealing with injuries to last them awhile. Sorry Bruins fans. By the way, no way Kovalchuk ends up in Boston despite the rumors.
REALISTICALLY...NO:
Forsberg in Vancouver on a line with the Sedin Twins would be VERY interesting, especially in the home city of Olympics. It could be a preview of the top line for Team Sweden in the Games. Of course, the Canucks are thisclose to the cap, so that won't happen. So are the Sharks, and since it won't happen, I won't even BEGIN to dream about a line of Forsberg, Thornton and Heatley. Holy Moly.
Montreal would love to grab him to help deliver their much coveted cup, but their cap situation is so tight they don't even have enough cap room to pay for a Habs jersey with "FORSBERG" on the back. Meanwhile, the magic Malkin, Crosby and Forsberg could make in Pittsburgh is mind boggling. Unfortunately, so is the cap juggling the Pens would need to do to fit Peter in. They will be getting some cap relief with Sergei Gonchar being on the IR, but not enough to afford Foppa without some finagling.
Chicago is in the same boat, and should only be thinking about signing Forsberg if either A) Toews is out long term, or B) they somehow deal away Brian Campbell's crazy salary. Forsberg, Sharp and Toews sounds like music to my ears. Sadly, it's only in my head.
THE CONTENDERS:
Peter Forsberg has always said if he came back, he'd play for one of his previous three teams. That's interesting. Especially since Colorado is out to a HOT start and are sitting in first place thanks to the stellar goaltending of Craig Anderson and some great play by some rookie players. Forsberg would be an interesting addition to a squad that lacks a breakout forward and has a LW on IR in Darcy Tucker. Rookie Matt Duchene is a slick playmaker who could learn a lot from playing with Peter the Great. However, it is amazing this Avalanche team has made this early run, and it would be improbable to think this is a Stanley Cup contending squad. Not in October.
The Flyers on the other hand just lost Simon Gagne for an unknown amount of time with two hernias and Danny Briere's wonky groin seems to have acted back up. Drafted by the Flyers back in the day (and the traded as part of the Eric Lindros deal) Forsberg tallied 30 Goals and 115 Points over 100 games across two season with the Flyers, who dealt him to Nashville for a package of players including Ryan Parent and Scottie Upshall.
Having played there for two seasons of his worst ankle problems, it is often thought that the Flyers have the inside track due to their injury history. Only, the Flyers are tightagainst the cap as well, especially after their mishandling of the Randy Jones recall that leaves them paying half of his $2.27M Salary after the Kings claimed him off waivers. When Gagne gets back, the Flyers will have less than $800,000 cap room. But until then, there is an opening on the left wing...
Nashville is in the worst shape of the three, with multiple injuries and an inconsistent forward corps. While Forsberg could help this sorry squad out, and the Predators have the Cap Space, they are playing atrociously right now and are not an attractive team for a returning star to want to hitch on to.
That said, who else is an option?
How about Washington? Foppa and Alexander the Great would create an even more unstoppable first line in the nation's capital, creating a 2nd line capable of producing fireworks at will. Washington's top 6 of Ovechkin, Semin, Backstrom, Knuble and Laich would round out nicely with Forsberg playing the top line Center. However, the ONLY way this happens is if the Caps somehow manage to rid themselves of Michael Nylander's $5m salary that hangs over their heads.
Nylander just tore it up in the minors on a showcase assignment that ended Friday night in the hopes someone in the KHL will take him off their hands. Nylander tallied 1 Goal, 5 Power Play assists and a plus 1 in 5 games - not a bad showing for a guy the Caps have deemed all but useless.
Then there is always Detroit. Decimated by injuries to Johan Franzen and Valtteri Filppula, Detroit is bumming right now. Having lost Jiri Hudler to the KHL and Mikael Samuelsson to Vancouver, Detroit was counting heavily on both Franzen and Filppula to help out and carry some of the load. With both on the shelf for awhile, the Red Wings could use some offensive spark. Forsberg on a line with either Datsyuk or Zetterberg would be highlight reel time, never mind the show they'd put on sharing the man advantage together. The Red Wings know how to win and with the addition of a player of Forsberg's caliber could be enough to take some of the pressure off of the lineup and propel them deep into the playoffs.
Overall, IF Forsberg is healthy enough to return, I'd rate his likely destinations in this order:
Colorado has the best chance to sign Forsberg because of his familiarity with the franchise and their surprisingly strong start - except they could choose to stick to their youth movement and decide to pass. The Flyers would be fast on their heels for the right to sign Peter and the strength of their roster would be a huge draw to Forsberg. Detroit will slide into third as fellow Swede Henrik Zetterberg would make sure the locker room welcomes Peter with open arms. Hockeytown would love him, as would Caps fans, whose Washington squad has about as much chance to sign him as Pittsburgh does, rounding out the list.
UPDATE: 11.5.08 11:40AM EST: Larry Brooks of the New York Post reports the NY Rangers are interested in Forsberg and will be scouting him in Sweden as well. The Rangers have about $1M in cap space, so it would be a tight fit. If Forsberg is healthy and Slats is serious, some salary dumping will have to be done. I doubt Peter ends up in NY, but they are now a dark horse candidate.
Bottom line, if Forsberg comes back and ends up on any of these squads, he's worth a gamble Fantasy Wise. If you have an extra roster spot where you can stash him for a month, why not pick him up? Some public leagues do not have him listed yet as he was completely out of the NHL last season, so he'd be added to your waiver wire when (and if) he signs. Not a bad reason to save your waiver pick nonetheless.
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