2008 Final Grade: INC
2007 Grade: N/A
Links:
{{forsberg}} (hockey-reference page)
2008 ITCS (aka highly unofficial) Forsberg game log
Season Stats: 9gp 1g 13a 14pt +7
Minutes: 173.2 (18th). EV 15:15, PP 3:55, PK :04, ATOI 19:15
1st Half: DNP
2nd Half: 9gp 1g 13a 14pt +7
Playoffs: 7gp 1g 4a 5pt +3
Best Month: March (7gp 0g 9a 9pt +4)
Positions: LW (9)
Lines: 1st (7), 3rd (2)
Linemates: Forsberg season log
C: Sakic (4), Stastny (3), Arnason (2)
RW: Hejduk (6), Jones (3)
Season: Too short.
Report: What's there to say? Forsberg sat out most of the season trying to decide if his ankles could hold up for one more run. He finally (and surprisingly) decided to come back just a day before the trade deadline. He was with the Avalanche for 29 games (regular and postseason) and played in 16 of them and only once was able to dress for more than 3 games in a row. Reportedly the ankles weren't the issue, but the TWO groin tears Foppa was suffering from were too much. When he was in the lineup, he added an offensive dynamic that we haven't seen since, well, since he left. The Stastny / Hejduk / Forsberg line was a joy to watch, even if it was for just a few games. When he was not in the lineup, the team seemed to struggle. This was most notable in game one of the Detroit series, when the Avs seemed to lose all the confidence they had built up against the Wild. Since his debut on March 4th, the Avalanche were 12-4 with him in the lineup and 2-7-1 when he wasn't. Unquestionably, he was a huge boost to our late-season run (and, I'm sure, to ticket sales). However, that boost didn't come without drawbacks as the team was negatively impacted when he wasn't able to get his body to go.
Fast Fact: Forsberg has never had a negative +/- in the regular season.
2007-2008 Salary (and Cap Number): $5,000,000 ($1,123,000)
2008-2009 Status: UFA
Outlook: Who knows? There's been speculation that Forsberg was going to retire...but 5 weeks after the season ended there's still nothing on that front. There's also been reports that Forsberg has seen a foot specialist and that his feet are much better. We've also heard that if he comes back, it would be with the Avalanche. Frankly, I don't think anyone really knows what's going on, including Forsberg. Here's the problem, though. Bringing Forsberg in at the deadline was a relatively safe gamble given the relatively low pro-rated cap number. Signing Foppa to a full-season contract will require a significant cap investment (say, $4 million?). If Forsberg gets injured, the Avalanche get the cap room back...but, once the season has started that extra cap room is rather useless. I'd love to see him back, even if it means he'll be in and out of the lineup. But, it would be a risky move to say the least.