Inside The Penalty Box 02.04.08: Bidding Begins In Forsberg Sweepstakes
Posted by Neil Borenstein on 02.04.2008
Peter Forsberg is returning to the NHL, and as many as 12 teams have shown an interest in signing the 34-year old playmaker supreme. In this edition of Inside The Penalty Box, Neil Borenstein examines Forsberg’s return, including a breakdown of some of the top teams expected to bid for his services.
The Peter Forsberg Sweepstakes Begins
Forsberg Ready For Return To The NHL
Photo Credit: Flickr.com
Peter Forsberg has granted his agent permission to speak with teams about acquiring his services on a two-year deal.
s the National Hockey League's trade deadline quickly approaches, Peter Forsberg has granted teams in need of a playmaking center another option to fill the void in their lineup. On Thursday, Forsberg told his Swedish Elite League team, MoDo, that he would not be playing for them this season, instead opting for a return to the NHL. He has given his agent, Don Baizley, permission to speak with teams that have an interest in acquiring his services.
According to The Sports Network in Canada, as many as 12 teams have shown some sort of intrigue in signing Forsberg for the remainder of the season. With the trade deadline looming (Feb. 26), the window for negotiations is very minimal. If a team isn't able to lure Forsberg in, it still needs time for some wheeling and dealing on the trade market. But for the next week or so, there is much attention to be paid to the returning 34-year old center.
Much like he has been in recent seasons of his career, Forsberg is a high-risk, high-reward type of player. He has responded well to a surgical procedure on his foot in December, and has reported to be feeling comfortable. But his foot troubles have bothered him for years and it's very possible it will always be a recurring issue. Added with several groin problems in his career, Forsberg is an injury-prone player.
The opposite side of that coin, however, is that even if he misses significant time during the regular season, he is going to be ready to go for the playoffs. And very few players have the ability to set the tempo in a playoff series like Forsberg. His best years might be behind him, but Forsberg is still a player capable of winning a series for the team he's on.
His most attractive attribute right now is the fact that teams only need to have free agent negotiations with him. A little over three weeks away from the trade deadline, many general managers were gearing up for back-and-forths with other NHL GMs for the league's top talent wasting away on non-playoff contenders. But instead of mortgaging the future by parting with prospects and draft picks, general mangers that need a first or second line center to complete their Stanley Cup seeking puzzle need only supply cash and salary cap room for Forsberg.
According to Yahoo! Sports' Ross McKeon, Forsberg won't just be a one-year wonder upon his return. Forsberg is seeking a two-year deal with $1 million worth of pay this year and the yearlong equivalent of that next season - $2.4 million. At a cap hit of $2.4 million both this year and next, Forsberg is a steal if he can play up to the potential he has set for himself since entering the league in the 1994-95 season with the Quebec Nordiques.
Many of the usual suspects are assumed to have been looking into Forsberg for their postseason hopes. The New York Rangers, Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks are three of those teams that have their eyes on Forsberg, but are doing so unnecessarily.
The Rangers may not be playoff-ready with the roster they have now (at least in terms of going deep into the postseason), but another center is not what they need the most. A good puck moving, power play efficient defenseman is what Glen Sather should have his eyes on. A European center for Jaromir Jagr is not a necessity, as the team already has two top line centers in Scott Gomez and Chris Drury. If neither one of those two players can stick with Jagr, was it really worth spending over $7 million per season on each of them?
The Ducks have already received late additions to spark their lineup in Scott Niedermayer and most recently Teemu Selanne. They have little to no cap space remaining. And if Brian Burke is not yet confident that he has a team capable of repeating, there's nothing Forsberg can do to change that. Like last year, the Ducks need to make little moves to prepare themselves. They brought in Brad May last year as their only move around the trade deadline. Moves of that magnitude is all Anaheim needs, if they need to make any moves at all.
Like the Rangers, the Sharks already have two capable top line centers in their lineup. Bringing in Forsberg just adds confusion to a lineup when Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau should be No. 1 and 2 on the depth chart. If anything, the Sharks could use more goal scorers, especially with the lackluster contribution of Jonathan Cheechoo this season. The Sharks have enough playmakers.
Teams that could use Forsberg and stand a pretty good chance of getting him are the Philadelphia Flyers, Colorado Avalanche, Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators.
Philadelphia might not have a drastic need for Forsberg since they do already possess a top line center in Daniel Briere, and Mike Richards is right behind him. And even though Jeff Carter might be dealt somewhere, he's still a decent center while playing for the Flyers right now. But Forsberg wants to come back to Philadelphia and finding chemistry on that club would be a very simple thing for him. So bringing him in would be more a matter of convenience and comfortability than actual need. But since this team could use a spark, it wouldn't be the worst move in the world. Some might say goaltending is a more pressing issue. But Martin Biron and Antero Niittymaki are more than capable of getting the job done. They just have to start playing more consistently.
Photo Credit: Yahoo! Sports/Getty Images
Daniel Briere took over the top line center job in Philadelphia that Peter Forsberg used to possess.
The Red Wings already lead the NHL in points (84) and have a pretty solid all around team. But after Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit doesn't have the most impressive group of centers around the league. In fact, the Red Wings' next center on the depth chart, Valtteri Filppula, has 11 assists. So while the Red Wings are going to be the best team in the NHL with or without Forsberg, they appear to be even better with him.
Colorado is a sentimental favorite in this sweepstakes, maybe even more so than the Flyers. While he spent two seasons of his career with the Flyers (or really one and a half), Forsberg spent 10 years (one being with Quebec) and won two Stanley Cups with the Avalanche. Now, adding an injury-prone player to a lineup full of injuries is not the most logical move. Considering Joe Sakic and Paul Stastny, the team's top centers, are out on injured reserved (as is Ryan Smyth), the last thing Colorado needs is another money player going down, which is always a possibility with Forsberg. But the team could benefit a lot from what is now a healthy Forsberg. And being matched up with Milan Hejduk again would be much better for the Avalanche than keeping rookie T.J. Hensick on the top line.
The Senators have more of a pressing need to stay healthy and remain consistent more than they need anything else. And finding a trading partner in Los Angeles for a bigger boost on defense is probably the direction they should aim as far as transactions are concerned. But bringing in another playmaker behind Jason Spezza could be beneficial for the Eastern Conference leaders. Mike Fisher and Chris Kelly are good players, but Forsberg is a much more dynamic playmaker than those two. Forsberg on the second line and power play would give the Senators an incredible boost to an already playoff-ready club. And with Daniel Alfreddson being a fellow-Swede, it might be easier for Ottawa to entice Forsberg to join the team.
The Vancouver Canucks, Pittsburgh Penguins, Calgary Flames and perhaps even the Dallas Stars are also potentially interested in signing Forsberg. All four are teams that could use him, but are probably not atop the list of favorites to actually land him. Out of those four, Pittsburgh is particularly intriguing. But Forsberg is not the defensive help that Pittsburgh really needs more than anything else.
My odds on favorite here is going to be Colorado, which has already had preliminary talks with Forsberg, has the nostalgia edge and could really use him considering the injuries the team is playing through right now. Philadelphia also stands a good shot because Forsberg does want to go back there. But I think the Avs will make the necessary push to win the Forsberg Sweepstakes.
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Until next week, you have just been Inside The Penalty Box!
I agree colorado needs a player like this considdering the three best players are out. if forsberg sighns with colorado i would be the happiest kid alive.
Posted By: dominic hicks (Guest) on February 04, 2008 at 06:15 PM
Why would Forsberg come back to play for Colorado who might not even make the playoffs let alone has no prayer at the Stanley Cup? When he comes back he's going to a team with a REAL shot at the championship this year.
Posted By: Ken Schmidt (Registered) on February 05, 2008 at 10:35 AM
forsberg is coming to philadelphia, borenstein just doesn't want to give a philadelphia team credit for anything
Posted By: Guest#4133 (Guest) on February 05, 2008 at 08:42 PM
s the National Hockey League's trade deadline quickly approaches, Peter Forsberg has granted teams in need of a playmaking center another option to fill the void in their lineup. On Thursday, Forsberg told his Swedish Elite League team, MoDo, that he would not be playing for them this season, instead opting for a return to the NHL. He has given his agent, Don Baizley, permission to speak with teams that have an interest in acquiring his services.
