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Where Forsberg Will End Up |
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Just got back from a college search in Vermont with my wife and son. Didn’t get to watch much hockey and didn’t even get to drive through St. Albans, the home of Johnny Vermont, aka Mr. LeClair. No problem though. The scenery was awesome, the people were super friendly and we did get to see Boston knock off Buff Thursday night at a great restaurant called Ninety-Nine. Apparently it’s a chain that started in Boston. We loved it.
So the buzz is building around the Peter Forsberg sweepstakes. Five days and counting until Peter tests his ankle and abdomen at the Karjala Cup in Helsinki. The ankle and foot problems got all of the pub, but the surgical procedure to finally fix a scar tissue issue (I didn’t plan that, I swear) from the 2001 spleenectomy, has hopefully alleviated the abdominal discomfort he has played with for the past six years. I know Peter is genuinely chomping to get back to the NHL and if the bod checks out, the one-man UFA market will open for business.
For all the scouts and GM’s planning their trips to Helsinki to see if Peter’s body has healed, I have 3 words: Save your money. Why in the world would you need to see him play? You know what he can do and you know where he would fit on your team. If you think you will be able to evaluate the results of his off-season surgeries, you’re wrong. It doesn’t matter what you think anyway. There is only one man’s opinion in all of this that truly matters, and that’s Peter’s.
It’s all very simple. If Peter Forsberg tells you his body is ready to return to the NHL, it is. He is the only person you need to hear it from and his assessment from the inside looking out will be dead on. Your eyes will only be guessing. He is honest and trustworthy, so if he is ready, take his word for it and move to the next phase of dangling the bait in front of him.
Now if you are heading to Helsinki to get away from the wife and kids, that’s perfectly understandable.
Priority List
I believe Peter will be back in the NHL very soon and where he ends up will be driven by a list of considerations. To handicap the teams in the running, I ranked this list of priorities I think will most influence Peter:
• Winning the Cup within 3 seasons
• Enjoyment of the city he plays in
• Salary
• Loyalty to those who have treated him well
• Approval of the Coaching Staff
When I interface these criteria with all the teams believed to be courting Forsberg, I come up with 2 destinations – Philadelphia or Colorado.