Forsberg to Return?

Not content to keep his brittle ankles off the ice, Peter Forsberg wants to return to the NHL before the start of the post-season, and The Denver Post says it will be with the Colorado Avalanche. The question then becomes, should the Avs want him in uniform?

Forsberg is obviously an incredibly dynamic player. Perhaps the greatest playmaker since Wayne Gretzky himself, Forsberg's 636 career assists (to just 249 goals) speak for themselves. He was the perfect complement to Joe Sakic in Colorado's glory days, and was a veritable stud in Philadelphia--when he played. In fact, only once in his career--the lost 2006-07 season, where Forsberg seemingly played only every other game--has he averaged less than a point per game for a full season, and he came pretty damn close that time with 55 points in 57 games.

It's also clear that Forsberg can still get it done, with 14 points in 9 games last season. He has defined himself as the cream of the late-season rental crop.

But his presence--or, lack thereof recently--has taken its toll on teams. The Flyers in 06-07 proved to be one of the worst teams in recent memory, not because the talent wasn't there, but rather because the team repeatedly failed to be on the same page. That started with Forsberg, who could light up the scoreboard when in the lineup, but would disappear for stretches at a time that normally corresponded with lengthy losing streaks. After being traded to Nashville, the Predators were quickly dispatched from the playoffs after just five games. It was even worse last year, as Forsberg joined the Avs for the stretch run and led them to a four-game exit at the hands of Detroit.

So is a late return for the Swedish superstar necessarily the best for Colorado? History suggests not, and that's an interesting angle for all teams to take. If last year is any indication, as it was the first season where players inexplicably decided to take much of the season off, then the failure of the Avalanche and Anaheim Ducks (who brought back Teemu Selanne and Scott Niedermayer, only to make a first-round exit in six games), then the New York Rangers' signing of Mats Sundin marks the official end of the Blueshirts' Stanley Cup hopes.

As for Sundin and the Rangers, as a lifelong Leafs and Sundin fan, I consider him a traitor and will be operating as such for the remainder of his career until he puts a Maple Leaf back on his chest. Such is being a fan. But surely the Big Swede will give the Rangers plenty of depth down the middle and make them a more formidable opponent down the stretch. While it isn't much of a mystery what Sundin will bring to the Rangers, it remains a mystery how he will be received in Toronto after going to an Original Six rival.