Peter Forsberg: The Saga Continues for the Colorado Avalanche Star
It's that time of year again.
With February—and the NHL trade deadline—just around the corner, Peter Forsberg has once again drawn media attention by attempting yet another NHL comeback (this is try No. 76, for anyone counting).
The Colorado Avalanche have announced that Forsberg will join the team for a few sessions of practice to test his chronic foot, which he hopes will hold up against NHL competition.
What will happen after that, no one knows. Forsberg is a relic compared to most of the Avalanche's roster, and if someone suggest a return to the burgundy and blue a week ago, they'd be loony tunes.
But when factoring Tomas Fleischmann's sudden long-term injury into the mix, it makes a bit more sense.
The truth is, we can sit here and speculate all we want about what's going to happen. Chances are, Forsberg won't have made a decision until right before the trade deadline (which is his last chance to join an NHL roster).
So instead, let's have a history lesson, and look back at the last five years in the never ending saga of Peter Forsberg.
2006-2007: The Beginning of the End
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The 2006-2007 season was the time in which Forsberg's injuries really began to take their toll on him. Obviously, his entire career has been plagued by injuries, but it wasn't until this season that it looked like retirement was imminent.
Playing only 40 games with a Philadelphia Flyers team that would eventually finish dead last in the NHL, Forsberg was shipped to the Nashville Predators right before the NHL's trade deadline. There, for the first time in his career, he would find himself as more of a support player, finishing with only two goals and 15 points in 17 games.
Though he had four points in five playoff games, the No. 4 seed Predators were wiped out by the fifth-seeded San Jose Sharks.
2007-2008: Look Who's Back
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After prematurely announcing that he wouldn't play in the 2007-2008 NHL season due to a nagging foot injury, Forsberg made shock waves by returning to the Avalanche the day before the NHL's trade deadline.
Despite being in the worst health of his NHL career, Forsberg jump started the Avalanche. Though he only participated in nine regular season games, Colorado's record in those games was 8-1-0, and Forsberg scored 14 points.
Eventually, he helped the Avs overcome the third seed Minnesota Wild in the first round of the playoffs, but his foot forced him to be a spectator as the Avalanche were swept by the Detroit Red Wings in the second round.
2008-2009: Finished?
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For the first time, since his rookie season in 1994-1995, Forsberg didn't play professional hockey in the NHL.
The foot held him back too much, and the most he was able to do was play three games for Modo of the SEL on a try out basis.
2009-2010: Still Kicking
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Finally, the 2009-2010 season. While Forsberg didn't play any NHL games, he played 23 games for Modo of the SEL, and more notably, took part in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
Forsberg only collected an assist in the four games he played for Sweden, but it was good to see him playing hockey at a high level again. As far as anybody knew, it would be the last time "Foppa" took the ice with the best competition in the world.
However, with this latest news he may, once again, be back.
