I know we're all basking in the success of the Flyers right now, but let's think back to February for a minute.
We're a couple of days before the trade deadline, checking Hockeybuzz and TSN at a rate bordering on obsessive for any possible information we could find about trades or signings.
The Flyers were reportedly looking for a puck-moving defenseman and were waiting on the word of someone else as to whether he would resume his career or wait until next season. More on him later.
What happened?
We got neither. That "puck-moving defenseman" ended up being a trade for Jaroslav Modry, a smart, solid veteran defenseman who was the only plus on the Kings' bottom-of-the-barrel defensive corps that had Rob Blake, Lubomir Visnovsky, Tom Preissing, and Jack Johnson.
Modry has been a good addition to this team, but he is not quite what comes to mind when you think "puck-moving."
The other trade? Paul Holmgren flipped Alexandre Picard and a pick over to Tampa for Vinny Prospal. Many people didn't understand this move at first, because with Dan Boyle, a true puck-mover, and Brad Richards both reportedly on the way out of Tampa, we got the aging Vinny Prospal.
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He's a good player, but he really took a back seat to St. Louis, Lecavalier, and Richards.
Meanwhile, that someone else, Peter Forsberg, decided it was a good career decision to sign with Colorado for the remainder of the season.
He felt Philadelphia was too injured and too young to be a contender, especially since they were in the midst of a 10-game losing streak.
Colorado, along with newly-added retread Adam Foote, was Forsberg's best prospect to win a Cup.
Let's take a look at what happened following the trade.
Vinny Prospal found a hockey soulmate in Danny Briere, who immediately snapped out of his slump upon being paired with Vinny.
Modry stepped in and provided a solid option on the injured defensive corps following the departure of Jim Vandermeer.
Carter stepped up literally right after the deadline passed and took all of the trade speculation with it, and filled the very large hole left by the injury of Mike Richards admirably.
And Forsberg?
He injured his groin two games after returning.
Since then, Forsberg became for the Avs what he was for the Flyers during the first half of last year: a distraction.
Forsberg, a great hockey player when healthy and a true class guy, continued to skip in and out of the lineup for the rest of his time with Colorado this year, right into the playoffs.
With the uncertainty surrounding Forsberg, Colorado got steamrolled by the Red Wings in four games, with the 8-2 loss in Game 4 as the exclamation point.
Back here on the home front, Holmgren essentially traded Alex Picard for the playoffs. True or false: If the Flyers did not acquire Prospal, the Flyers would not have made the playoffs. Chew on that for a minute.
So here we are, sitting pretty as the only team assured of a spot in the NHL's version of the Final Four besides the league-leading Detroit Red Wings.
Think about this: it took the sixth-seeded Flyers less time to finish off the top-seeded Habs than it is taking the second-seeded Penguins to finish off the fifth-seeded Rangers.
Would that have been possible if we had signed Forsberg, accepting the uncertainty around him that truly doomed our 06-07 season rather than trade Prospal?
Don't count on it.
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4 months ago
Peter Forsberg is nothing more than a distraction for every team that he is on. A few years ago Forsberg could score AND dive with the best of them. Now though he wants to keep playing but his body won't allow him to play at all. He needs to take the hint that he isnt going to be able to play anymore and just get out while he still has a shred of dignity left. And every team needs to understand that Forsberg WILL NOT contribute like he used to and he WILL NOT help you win the cup. But what he will do is help tank your season. So if you are looking to lose pick up Peter Forsberg.
4 months ago
Forsberg = dead weight on a team. He should have retired years ago. Im with Nathan above on every point. I mean did he even play in the Colo. vs Det. series? Why have a guy like that on the payroll for that amount of money who is always scratched...its idiocy.
4 months ago
It pains me to agree, but there is no other option. He's my all-time favorite player but he needs to go. He's just too banged up.
4 months ago
To say having Peter Forsberg is dead weight is retarded. If Peter Forsberg is in your line up he can only help your team. I will agree that theres no doubt his career is just about over, and having him always scratched is a burden espcially when his salary is so big. But hes still a world class player and arguably one of the best playmakers the games ever seen. Theres no doubt that his better years have passed him, but to say he cant help you win a cup is obsurd. If he's in your line-up he's going to contribute, plan and simple. The man still has a little bit left in the tank, and if wants to try to contribute and give this last season or two everything he's got he needs to ask for less money where ever he may wind up.
from 4 months ago
The problem is that you don't know when he'll be in your lineup. As a Flyers fan, I know better than anyone how much of a distraction this becomes. When he's in and out of the lineup, Gagne and Knuble had a different center every game and none of them were of Forsberg's caliber obviously. I disagreed with his decision to return this year. He still sounded like he wasn't totally sure about his injuries, and sort of rushed back into the lineup. If he wanted to return, he should have continued rehab and tried again for next season MAYBE, if his injury problems were really behind him. I'm not convinced they ever will be though.
I don't want to call him dead weight, but in a way he sort of is because he inadvertantly becomes such a distraction with the injuries. I love Peter, he's one of my all time favorite players even from before he was a Flyer, but I think it's time to shut it down. He's a Stanley Cup winner, a Hart winner, and should be a future Hall of Famer. I know how much he wants to play, but he doesn't have anything left to prove and I don't think he will be able to help a team anymore in a way he knows he can.
4 months ago
Peter Forsberg is a HUGE risk, but it can bring HUGE rewards. Look at the AVS record with him in the line-up, and with him out of the line-up. You cannot say that he does not have an affect on the team.
However, when you are more games out savoring an injury, I think its time to call it quits. He tried to come back for 1 last run with the Avalanche, but unfortunately it did not work out.
On behave of Avs fans everywhere, thank you Peter for the incredible career.
4 months ago
actually Peter did'nt go to the Avs because they were a cup contender. He went because it was a smart move and not as much pressure. the injuries and age in Philly had nothing to do with it. Do some research, isn't that what a writers job is?
4 months ago
He wouldn't go to a team if he didn't think they were a cup contender. He obviously had confidence that the Avs could get it done and obviously wanted to give it another go with Sakic. They just got slammed with injuries and ended up getting steamrolled by Detroit because of it. What were they missing, like two full lines of starters or something?
And yes, the injuries and age had something to do with it. If he came back here it would have been because he's good friends with Gagne. However, Gagne had already been put out for the rest of the season, and the Flyers were very injured at that point (unlike the Avs were at that point) and seemed to be falling fast out of contention. Most of the players he knew when he was here were gone at this point. Things just didn't work out the way he hoped (and the rest of us too, because I have absolutely nothing against Foppa, he's still one of my favorites all time).
Thanks for the insult though.
4 months ago
Interesting article. Foppa clearly turned out to be a liability in the playoffs but if you watched him in his first games back, he's definitely still one of the most dominating players with the puck. Without him, the Avs probably wouldn't have even made the playoffs. Its true that he can be unreliable with his injuries but when he actually gets in the games, he doesn't look washed up at all. It was a real bummer to see him get injured in a morning skate before the detroit series but his absence wasn't the reason they lost that series. There were so many ridiculous injuries and on top of that Jose Theodore reverted back to his old self. If forsberg can't get healthier than he was this season then he needs to hang up the skates. But if he can manage to consistently put a string of games together, he could still have 1 more year at a high level of play.
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