The answer is yes—the Avalanche are very interested in Peter Forsberg, and plan to make him an offer. But the Avs—like any other NHL team with interest—are waiting to hear when, or if, their former star center is ready to play again.

"We've made it known to (agent) Don (Baizley) that, when he makes his decision to come back, we'd be a party that would like to have a chance to talk with him," Avs general manager Francois Giguere said Saturday night. "As far as I know, Peter hasn't made the decision whether he's going to come back to the NHL."

The oft-injured Forsberg, 34, is close to making a decision after recurring ankle problems had him sidelined all season. He is skating with his former Swedish team, MoDo, but hasn't played competitively since last season's NHL playoffs with Nashville.

The Avs have some good salary cap room, enough to offer Forsberg a significant financial deal should he return, and have perhaps the biggest advantage of any potential suitor—a place he called home for nearly ten years while winning two Stanley Cups.

The Avs do not have a scout or anybody else from the team in Sweden.

"When Peter is going to say he's ready to play, I am so very confident that he would be ready to play. His standards are so high," Giguere said. "It's for him to figure if he'll get to that point prior to the (Feb. 26) deadline."

Forsberg still has a condominium in Denver.

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