Rumor Has It..Let the bidding begin! Or not so much bidding but convincing. Who will be able to charm Peter 'The Great' into joining their team and instantly bolstering it's offense.
There is no doubt that Peter Forsberg can still perform at a high level and with his off season surgery he is hoping to have his ankle at 100%. But where does he want to play? There are only a handful of options that Forsberg is likely to entertain offers from and he is so good that the handful of teams will be waiting anxiously for his decision.
The interesting strategy in signing Peter Forsberg is all the teams he would want to play for will already be a playoff team without his help. A team could sign Forsberg and let him rest up plenty in the regular season and unleash his abilities for the playoffs. No need in putting pressure on ankles when it's clear he can be saved for a cup run.
Who are these teams? Peter has already expressed interest in joining a team he has previously played on. That means The Flyers, Predators, and Avalanche are automatically pushed to the top of his list. I would say the Predators are the least likely for him to rejoin. He didn't play there long and the new ownership obviously wants a small payroll. The Flyers would definitely make some room for him with his proven chemistry with Knuble and Gagne. I also could see Joe Sakic calling Peter closer to October and asking him to rejoin the Avs. It seemed to work in getting Ryan Smyth. Think about that one two punch. Sakic/Smyth, Forsberg/Hedjuk?
TSN.ca is reporting that the Ottawa Senators and the Vancouver Canucks are also interested in Peter Forsberg. The Canucks have a great advantage over most teams with his childhood friend Markus Naslund being the captain of the team as well as Forsberg playing with the Sedin twins during the lockout. If Peter's decision is based on personal relationships than Vancouver is in the front running.
Another rumor going around is Michael Peca is very close to signing with the New York Rangers. Peca is an unrestricted free agent who skated last year with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 33 year old center played only 35 games after suffering a broken leg scoring 15 points. Can this signing help The Rangers? Yes it should. But are The Rangers prepared to go into the 2007-2008 season with a new 1st, 2nd, and 3rd line center? Has that ever been done in history?
The Rangers had a very good season last year and just happened to run into the ultra deep President Trophy winning Buffalo Sabres. Is Michael Peca really needed? It is like The Rangers have the bases loaded and instead of trying to get a base hit they are going for the grand slam. Instead of adding some nice pieces to an already potent hockey team, they are breaking the bank. Is it a bad move? No because it shows Ranger fans how serious the team is about contending and ultimately winning. It just may not be necessary and might take away spots from some young talent.
Other news New Jersey Devils signed Paul Martin to a new 3 year deal. He will make 3 million the first year, 4 the next, and 4.5 the third. This is a lot of money for a player who has never broken the 40 point barrier but it was a must for The Devils. He is the only possible player who can be considered a true offensive defenseman on the team and with Rafalski gone his points will pick up drastically.
2 comments:
Couldn't be more happy that NYR left Peca alone. Waste $1.5 million of cap space on an IR player? No thank you. Would he have helped on the PK and and been a solid third line checker? You bet...for a solid 30 games or so before he gets concussed or tears a ligament. He would have been good veteran insurance incase Drury or Gomez goes down, but I more then comfortable with moving Straka to center if those scenarios were to play out. No Peca means the Rangers can continue to give the plethora of young talented forwards a chance to crack the lineup. Dubinsky is my man for the 3rd line center spot.
And why not the Devils make a pitch for Forsberg? Defense aside, the team would look much more solid with a legite number one like him in the lineup. Of course the question marks around him could be what's keeping teams away.
Couldn't agree more with you on Peca. It could be a great idea, but it's not needed.
As for the Devils, I think that could be said for anytime. EVERYBODY could use a superstar like Forsberg..but where does he want to play. It's his call, and I'm just waiting by the phone!!
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