Peter Forsberg to make one last comeback attempt

You're kidding, right? According to the Denver Post, former Flyer Peter Forsberg, who has been out of the NHL since 2008, is making one last comeback attempt. Forsberg, who has had chronic foot problems for years now, is apparently ready to give it one " last, last, last try" at playing in the NHL. Haven't we heard this all before?

Thankfully, this time around, don't count on rumors linking Forsberg to playing with the Flyers, who are already incredibly deep at center. Besides, the Flyers already have Claude Giroux, who is basically a younger, faster version of Forsberg.

Good luck, Peter Forsberg; I can't wait until your next comeback attempt!

Your guide to the Flyers at the Olympics

We've officially hit a lull in Philly sports action. The Eagles have long been eliminated, the Phillies are just getting under way, the Sixers are more interested in trading for next year and the Flyers are off for two weeks for the Winter Olympic break. Fortunately, just because the Flyers aren't playing any games as a team, there are still a few individuals headed to Vancouver to represent their countries.

While Jeff Carter just missed being added to Canada's roster today and Matt Carle arguably should be on the U.S. roster, there will be four current Flyers playing in the Olympics this year. Here's what to expect from them:

Oskars Bartulis, D, Latvia: Will be top defender on a weak team
Chris Pronger, D, Canada: Could be on top D pairing for Gold favorite
Mike Richards, C, Canada: Expect more of a checking/PK role
Kimmo Timonen, D, Finland: Should get plenty of ice time

If you are feeling a little more nostalgic, there are also ten former Flyers at the Olympics:

Peter Forsberg, C (Sweden)
Michal Handzus, C (Slovakia)
Lasse Kukkonen, D (Finland)
Antero Niitymaki, G (Finland)
Joni Pitkanen, D (Finland)
Branko Radivojevic, W (Slovakia)
Luca Sbisa, D (Switzerland)
Dennis Seidenberg, D (Germany)
Patrick Thoreson, W (Norway)
Ole-Kristian Tollefsen, D (Norway)

While all indications are that it's Canada's Gold to lose, there should be some entertaining games along the way, especially the Canada/U.S. and Canada/Russia tilts. As for who you should root for in the Olympics, that's your call. Despite not having any Flyers on the roster, I'll certainly be rooting for the U.S. but I'll have my eye on how the Philly guys are doing. As long as the U.S. has a decent showing (Top 4) and none of the Flyers get hurt, I will consider the Olympics a success.

It all kicks off tomorrow at 3 pm when the U.S. takes on Switzerland and it ends on Sunday, February 28th in the Gold Medal game. Click here for the complete Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Schedule.

Forsberg won't play in NHL this year

Well, at least he isn't dragging it out this year. Peter Forsberg, a perennial candidate to sign with the Philadelphia Flyers, has decided that if his foot is healthy enough, he won't return to the NHL, instead he will play in Sweden for Modo.

This news has many Flyer fans breathing a sigh of relief. Speculation had picked up recently that the Flyers were looking to sign Forsberg, possibly to fill in for the injured Danny Briere. While the salary cap implications of signing Forsberg would have made it highly unlikely the Flyers could have actually signed Foppa, it's nice to know that the rumors are going to die off now. The Flyers wanted no part of Forsberg unless he found a magical cure for his ailing feet.

Does this signal the end of Peter Forsberg's NHL career?

Seriously? Flyers interested in Peter Forsberg

Just when you thought it was dead, it starts right back up again. The rumors that Peter Forsberg was coming back to the Flyers started last season, died down after Foppa signed with the Avalanche, and then seemingly started up again the moment the Flyers were eliminated in the playoffs.

Now, it seems the rumor is gaining some real traction: the Flyers are talking with Forsberg's agent. According to Tim Panaccio of Comcast Sportsnet, Flyers GM Paul Holmgren contacted Foppa's agent to see if the star center was going to play this season. Holmgren went even further and said that "he would like to have Forsberg back in Philadelphia".

I have a few different thoughts on this rumor. First of all, with the Flyers right up against the cap, how in the world would they be able to afford Foppa? When Danny Briere comes back, the Flyers are already going to have to make a serious of moves to get themselves under the cap. If the Flyers were to sign Forsberg as well, an important piece of the current team would have to go. Of course, Briere is still injured, so Holmgren could be throwing feelers out there just in case Briere can't get back on the ice this season. If Briere never quite gets healthy, the Flyers could sign Forsberg and slide him right into Briere's spot on the first line.

Of course, whenever you talk about bringing Forsberg back, you have to consider his health. Foppa was a good, but not great, player for the Avalanche last season, putting up 14 points in 9 games. The Avs couldn't count on him on a nightly basis, however, as he was in and out of the lineup dealing with his foot and ankle problems.

If Briere doesn't come back and if Peter Forsberg is around 90% healthy, then I say the Flyers should bring back their former captain. He is still an excellent passer and I would love to see him dishing passes to Simon Gagne again. If Foppa is still the hobbled Foppa of the last two seasons then the Flyers should just forget it.

Either way, I am sure this is a rumor that won't be going away any time soon. Stay tuned for your daily Foppa.

Broken record rumor: Forsberg to the Flyers

Stop me if you've heard this one before: Peter Forsberg is looking to return to the NHL and the Flyers might be interested in his services. For most of last January and February I wrote a number of posts discussing the possibility of Forsberg returning to the Flyers until he decided to make his comeback with the Colorado Avalanche. Now that it appears that Forsberg wants to play again this season, some familiar rumors have surfaced again.

According to Hockeybuzz.com, Forsberg will likely return to the Avalanche in late January but apparently the Flyers and Rangers are also possible destinations. While the Flyers could always use another center, if they do choose to sign Foppa they would need to clear out cap space. As it is, the Flyers are so close to the cap that when Danny Briere returns to the team they will have to waive someone or make a trade.

When he's healthy, Forsberg is still a quality NHL player. He played in only 9 regular season games last season but did pile up 14 points with the Avs. Unfortunately, he isn't a guy you can count on to take the ice every night. The nightly question of whether Foppa can take the ice was a headache that is all too familiar for the Flyers and their fans.

Peter Forsberg may be returning to the NHL but I think I can speak for all Flyers fans when I say: we don't want him! Let him sign with the Avs and let them deal with the soap opera.

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This is why we didn't want him: Forsberg still can't play

The Colorado Avalanche are quickly learning a lesson that the Flyers and their fans already knew: when healthy, Peter Forsberg is a great player, but when he's hurt, he's a real headache. In Forsberg's last few months with the Flyers, we never knew what we were gonna get from him. He would sit out a few games, play a few, and then sit out again. The Flyers were constantly asked the question of whether Forsberg was going to play, and it had to grow tiresome for the organization. Now the Avalanche are having the same experience.

Forsberg has yet to play for the Avs, and there is no timetable as to when he will suit up. When asked about when he will return, Foppa responded "how long it's going to take, we don't know yet". He thinks he needs more practice to get himself into playing condition. Forsberg says his foot feels better, but he has been saying that for weeks. How much better does it need to feel before he plays?

Good luck Avalanche. I hope you know what you got yourselves into.

*Flyers win third in a row The Flyers are putting their ten game losing streak behind them and starting to look like the team that went on a roll in January. Mike Knuble had another solid outing, getting his third goal in the last two games, and the Flyers won 4-1 over the New York Islanders. The win helps the Flyers start the long climb back up the standings in the Eastern Conference. It puts them one point behind the Rangers for the 7th seed, but they are still 7 points away from the Atlantic Division leader, the Devils. The Flyers can pass the Rangers if they can pull out a victory at Madison Square Garden tomorrow.

Forsberg Signs with Avs

Well, so much for a return to Philadelphia. In what might make Flyers fans breathe a sigh of relief, the Colorado Avalanche signed Peter Forsberg for the remainder of the season. The oft-injured forward will attempt to make his comeback on the team that he began his NHL career with.

This is a fitting end to this story. Most Flyers fans were initially excited about the possibility of Forsberg returning, but as time went on, and it became clear that Forsberg was far from healthy, they began to sour on the idea. At this point, with all of the issues the Flyers have, a hobbled Forsberg wasn't going to be their savior. Let the Avalanche deal with the daily issues as to whether he will play, and how many shifts his foot will be able to take.

It would have been nice to have the Peter Forsberg of three years ago back in Philly. Too bad that's not the Foppa that will be playing with the Avalanche this year.

Richards Injury Opens Door for Forsberg?

So Mike Richards went down, he'll be out three weeks with a torn hamstring. These are the types of kick-us-when-we're-down injuries that seem to only happen in Philadelphia. Well, as soon as Richards was knocked out, Hockeybuzz re-started our favorite rumor: Peter Forsberg is coming to Philly. From Hockeybuzz.com:

Forsberg: The Flyers, Sens, Wild, and Rangers are all in Peter, however I was told again today that a team may very well have already worked out a deal with Peter and that team may very well be Philadelphia.

It actually might make some sense now. The Flyers need another center after losing Richards. They also have lots of cap space now that Simon Gagne is off the books. The only thing that might keep Forsberg from coming here is that the Flyers aren't really a Stanley Cup contender, one of Foppa's original demands. Maybe now he is willing to come here and be a savior, the guy that breaks the losing streak and leads the Flyers back into the playoffs.

The only other question is, do we want all of the drama that Peter Forsberg brings to the team? It actually could be a good thing for all of the young guys who are feeling the pressure to win. Forsberg could deflect a lot of that pressure onto himself. Or, he could just end up causing more trouble. Forsberg has only two more days to decide if he is coming back. Let's hope the Flyers know what they are doing.

The Forsberg Comeback Story Just Won't Die

I hope everyone else is getting as sick of this story as I am. After Peter Forsberg's agent came out yesterday and said it looks "unlikely" that Forsberg will be healthy enough to play, Forsberg said today that he isn't ruling out the possibility of a return. Forsberg said the following in a Swedish television interview:

"The foot doesn't feel 100 (percent), but there is still one week left until the deadline"

Hockeybuzz has confirmed that Forsberg hasn't completely ruled out a return.

This all sounds like a guy who hasn't given up hope that he might come back. The only question I have is whether the Flyers can afford to sign him, what with the acquisition of Jaroslav Modry. Would that put them too close to the cap, and unable to sign Forsberg? And, at this point, does anybody really care anymore?

Flyers GM Paul Holmgren added his thoughts on the flip-flopping Foppa:

"He didn't close the door completely. It's still open a crack......we'll all have a definite answer in a week"

After yesterday, I thought we had closure. It looks like this story won't go away until the trade deadline, which thankfully is only 7 days away.

Forsberg Not Coming Back This Season

No sooner than I had finished my previous post, news came out that Peter Forsberg has decided not to come back to the NHL. His agent has advised all of the teams in the running for his services that Forsberg does not feel confident enough in his health to make a return. We knew all along that unless Forsberg felt like he could return to the Foppa of old, he would not come back.

For the Flyers, I think this is good news. They didn't need another injured player. Foppa at anything less than 90% wouldn't help this team. The fact that Forsberg finally made his decision also means that Flyers fans and players can stop looking to him as some kind of savior. The Flyers can now move ahead and make the necessary deals to shore up a flailing team.

Forsberg Expected to Make Decision Tuesday

Peter Forsberg may finally be ready to make a decision about whether he will return to the NHL. According to Flyers GM Paul Holmgren, Forsberg is expected to announce whether he will return on Tuesday. Forsberg is still mulling his options as he figures out if his foot is healthy enough. The fact that this information is coming from the Flyers GM makes it pretty clear that Philly is the number one destination for Foppa. The Flyers recent losing streak may force them to re-evaluate and change their position on bringing Forsberg back into the fold.

A report over on Hockeybuzz.com says that Forsberg may even make the decision on what team he will play for by Wednesday. They also speculate that the Flyers may have backed off and that the Minnesota Wild are stepping up their efforts to sign the 34 year old Swede.

*Flyers Injury Update Of course, with all of the injuries the Flyers have, bringing Forsberg back might help just because he can actually suit up. The Flyers have 4 regulars who will be out an extended period of time. Joffrey Lupul is expected to be out 2 to 3 more weeks with a high ankle sprain. Steve Downie is being evaluated following a concussion and it is unknown how long he will be out. Derian Hatcher is out at least three more weeks, and it's unknown whether Simon Gagne will be able to play again this season. Things look grim for the Flyers, a team that when healthy has considerable depth. They will be looking more towards the young guys to step in and play, as evidenced by the recent call-up of Claude Giroux.

Blackhawks Make Offer to Forsberg

Hockeybuzz.com has been updating the Peter Forsberg situation on a daily basis, constantly speculating on where and when Foppa will return. The latest news today is that the Chicago Blackhawks have made an 3 year, 10 to 12 million dollar deal to Forsberg. Seems like a lot of years for a guy that may not be able to skate. Hockeybuzz puts the following percentages on Forsberg's destination: Philadelphia 40%, Chicago 15%, NY Rangers 15%, Ottawa 15%, Minnesota 10%, Vancouver 5%. So, the Flyers are still the front runners, I just hope it doesn't take a three year deal to make it happen. A two year, incentive-laden deal would be in the best interests of the Flyers.

*New Lines Tonight The Flyers square off with the Canadiens tonight, looking for a much needed win. Bill Meltzer posted the offensive lines for tonight, and it includes a major shake-up:

Hartnell - Richards- Briere
Upshall - Carter- Lupul
Kapanen - Umberger - Knuble
Cote - Dowd - Downie

Danny Briere has been moved to the wing, and R.J. Umberger has been moved to center. Steve Downie moves down to the fourth line. This makes for some great offensive balance on the top three lines, with the fourth line being the agitators. Briere moving to the wing might be a smart move, especially when/if Forsberg comes back and they can be put on the same line. If Simon Gagne ever gets healthy, imagine how potent a Gagne/Foppa/Briere line would be!

It's Time for the Flyers to Bounce Back

I am beginning to sound like a broken record, but the Flyers need this one. The Tampa Bay Lightning come to Philly today to take on the Flyers. Tampa is the worst team in the Eastern Conference, but they have played well lately, winning 3 of their last 4 games. Here are some news and notes from around the rink.

*Ryan Parent Called Up With Braydon Coburn's butt injury and the so-so play of Lasse Kukkonen, the Flyers have called up rookie defenseman Ryan Parent. The 20 year old made his NHL debut last year, playing in one game. You may remember Parent from the Peter Forsberg trade last year; he came with Scottie Upshall to Philly in the deal. The Flyers have been talking about acquiring a puck-moving d-man, and that's exactly what Parent is. This kid will be great in a few years, and it will be fun to see how he adapts to the NHL level.

*Injury Update Simon Gagne and Upshall are still not ready to come back. Gagne looks to be out at least another two weeks, while Upshall might be ready to play this weekend against Montreal.

*More New Lines Bill Meltzer posted the lines for tonights game over at Hockeybuzz.com:

Umberger - Briere - Lupul
Hartnell - Richards - Downie
Greentree - Carter - Knuble
Cote - Dowd - Kapanen

Timonen - Vandermeer
Hatcher - Jones
Smith - Parent

Kyle Greentree actually looked pretty good the other day. He was big and strong, and has a good feel for the game. There might be a spot for him if he can carve out a role for himself.

*Forsberg Delays Return Forsberg asked for more time to make his decision about returning to the NHL. This story is getting to the point where I won't report anything until he actually signs. Forsberg is turning into the distraction that he was for the Flyers last year when no one knew when he was going to play. Initially I thought he would be a great addition to the Flyers, but it may not be worth all of the headaches.

Forsberg Whittles Down His Options

Just doing my due diligence here, because I know everyone wants to know the latest. Peter Forsberg has narrowed down his options by eliminating Anaheim from his list. Here are the six teams that remain in the hunt, according to Hockeybuzz.com:

Colorado, Philadelphia, NY Rangers, Vancouver, Chicago, Ottawa

If the Flyers continue to lose, they may actually take themselves out of the running. To many people, that wouldn't be such a bad thing. Of course, Forsberg still has yet to say whether he is coming back, although he was skating good the other day.

Flyers Need to Bounce Back Against Isles

It's not a must-win situation, but the Flyers need to take care of the last place Islanders if they want to stay in the hunt for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. They need to ignore all of the injuries and Forsberg talk and go out and get a win. This team has the talent, they just have to focus and get the job done.

Here are the latest news and rumors:

*New Lines As posted by Bill Meltzer, who does a great game preview, the Flyers lines will be altered again due to the injuries. Either R.J. Umberger or Sami Kapanen will take Simon Gagne's spot on the top line, with the other filling in on the third line. New call-up Kyle Greentree will make his NHL debut and play on the fourth line. He is a big guy who has shown a scoring touch in the minors.

Umberger/Kapanen - Briere - Lupul
Hartnell - Richards - Downie
Umberger/Kapanen - Carter - Knuble
Cote - Dowd - Greentree

The defense remains the same, with Lasse Kukkonen playing for Braydon Coburn's injured butt.

*The Trade Front We know the Flyers want to add a puck moving defenseman, but with all these injuries, might they be looking for another forward? Makes sense to me, especially with Gagne out indefinitely. Forsberg would be the obvious choice, but we still don't know if that will happen. (By the way, the latest news on Forsberg is there is no news. No new decisions have been made, but every expectation is that something will be decided "in about a week".)

Eklund over at Hockeybuzz.com has a list of the 80 most likely to be traded players, so start your speculating from that list. If the Flyers don't get Foppa, I would love it if they went after a guy like Vaclav Prospal or a tougher guy like Brian Willsie. The trade deadline is two weeks away, so we will soon find out what the Flyers plan to do!

Footage of Peter Forsberg skating, testing out his foot

Here is a video of Forsberg skating in Sweden with MoDo. He is still testing out his foot, and from the looks of it he appears to be ready. He looks strong and does a lot of pushing off, and even scores a nice backhand goal at the end of this short clip.



This whole thing is officially turning into a circus. Will he come back or won't he? What team will end up signing him? I would still put money on him signing with the Flyers in about a week.

New Flyer Lines and the Daily Foppa

A quick update before today's game:

*New Flyer Lines. With the injury to Scottie Upshall and the return of Joffrey Lupul, the Flyers will have a new look on their top two lines:

Gagne Richards Lupul
Hartnell Briere Downie
Umberger Carter Knuble
Cote Dowd Kapanen

Both of the top lines are a good mix of scoring and energy, so if these guys develop some chemistry the Flyers should remain potent.

*The Daily Foppa. New information about Peter Forsberg seems to come out every few hours. Flyers GM Paul Holmgren made the following comments about the superstar:

"If Peter is not healthy, he will not come back to the NHL. I have full confidence in that...... I don't think he would come back unless he feels he can play at the level he needs to play. That's his big thing. He was embarrassed last year. . . . He doesn't want to put himself in that position again."

All signs point to the fact that if Forsberg is healthy, he will be signing with the Flyers. The only thing keeping him away right now is his health. The longer this situation takes, the more concerned we should all be getting. If Foppa doesn't know by now if he is healthy enough to play, how is he going to know next week?

Flyers News and Notes

The Flyers have an off-day today before their big game against the Rangers, but there have been a lot of news and rumors circulating.

*Injury News: Scottie Upshall is sidelined 7 to 10 days after spraining his ankle against the Capitals on Wednesday. His energy will be missed, although Joffrey Lupul might be returning to the ice on Saturday against the Rangers.

*New Lines?: Due to the injuries, the Flyers will need to shuffle their lines a bit, and John Stevens has said that he might want to split up Simon Gagne and Danny Briere. The two have not had the same chemistry they started the season with, although most of that is due to Gagne's injuries. Stevens said he might put Gagne with Mike Richards. I think Briere and Gagne should stay on the same line, because they are going to be counted on to be the top scorers in the playoffs.

*Forsberg!: The Canucks and Wild are two teams that Forsberg has not crossed off his list, and they both are interested in his services. The Wild owner was in Nashville last season, so he has an interest in bringing Foppa to his new team. The Flyers are still considered the front-runner, and word has spread that they have already bought a bunch of medical supplies in preparation of his return. Forsberg must make his decision soon since he has to be on a roster by the trade deadline, February 26th, or he won't be able to suit up in the playoffs.

*Trade Rumors: With the trade deadline coming, there is some speculation as to what the Flyers are going to do. Their one main need is for a defenseman, and one player mentioned is Rob Blake of the Kings. The Flyers would need to clear some cap space, and this piece speculates that Sami Kapanen, Upshall and Mike Knuble might be moved. Of course, I have also heard completely out there rumors that the Flyers want to trade Jeff Carter for Mats Sundin, but don't hold your breath. With the deadline fast approaching, we are going to hear a ton of unfounded rumors.

To get us all psyched up for a possible Forsberg return, here is his famous shoot-out goal from the 1994 Olympics. It's a little bit grainy, but you can tell that's a young, agile Foppa that we won't be getting.

Flyers Lose on Ron Hextall Night

The Flyers played with grit and determination, just like the man they honored tonight always played, but they still fell short of the win. The Flyers lost 4-3 to the Washington Capitals, fighting back with two late third period goals to make it an interesting finish. The Flyers got two power play goals, one from the red hot Mike Knuble and the other by Randy Jones. The Flyers actually out shot the Capitals, but Washington continued their solid play against Philly the last few years. They have won six of their last eight against the Flyers.

The Flyers had a sure goal by Scott Hartnell that was waived off earlier in the game because the refs said that the goalie was pushed into the net. Even after a lengthy video replay, the Flyers were not awarded the goal. I watched the game through the Capitals feed, and even their announcers said the goal should have counted, so the Flyers probably should have had this game tied. Oh well, I guess just like Ron Hextall, the Flyers fell a little short of winning the big one!

*More Forsberg News! Foppa continues to cross teams off of his list. Forsberg told the Stars, Red Wings, Sharks, Penguins and Flames that he would not play for them. That leaves 25 more options for Forsberg, with the Flyers and Avalanche being the top two contenders. There are still some grumblings that the Rangers are in the hunt, but unless they start getting competitive, they won't be able to offer Forsberg the Cup run he wants. Stay tuned, he is expected to make his decision within the week!

Finally, I will leave you with a video of our beloved Ron Hextall, doing one of the things we loved him for, sticking it to Chris Chelios:

Flyers Bounce Back

The Flyers bounced back from a poor effort against the Rangers by shutting out the Stanley Cup Champs 3-0. Like always, the Flyers were outshot (27-25), but Martin Biron was strong in goal, stopping everything the Ducks could muster. The Flyers offense was all provided by Mike Knuble, who had the first hat trick of his career. This is surprising, considering he has topped 30 goals in a season twice in his 11 year career. Knuble has been playing on a checking line with R.J. Umberger and Jeff Carter for the last few weeks, so it has been great to see that he is combining strong defensive play with his scoring touch. On the fighting front, Riley Cote continued to prove his worth by squaring off with Ducks tough guy George Parros. Even though Cote was soundly beaten in the scrap, he has continually shown that he is willing to fight anyone, anywhere. Cote will continually find himself in the line-up for the Flyers, even when everyone is healthy, if he maintains this level of toughness.

*Yes, more Forsberg! Another day, another piece of news on Peter Forsberg. Flyers GM Paul Holmgren hopped on a plane to Sweden to go and talk to Forsberg. Everything is being set into motion, and I bet by the end of next week, Foppa will be wearing the orange and black again. The only question will be what number he will wear, seeing as how Jason Smith has #21 already.