CAPMESS11

United States, NY • United States •

FORSBERG FOR X-MAS,COULD RANGERS LAND SWEDISH STAR?

Forsberg For X-mas, it just might happen. If predictions about Foppa's health stand pat, then he will be ready to get going sometime around the Holidays.The Rangers are currently holding out to see if they can land one more vet to accompany their young talent. Either they manage to pull one big rabbit out of a hat and grab Mats Sundin or bring back Brendan Shanahan for one last session. But if both options slip through their hands there may be one tempting option under the tree.

Ok ,Ok so I know this is kind of back peddling into the Days of Anson Carter and Eric Lindros with some Valeri Kameski over pasta. But say Rangers brass wants to give the kids a chance to work on Broadway straight out of camp. After a few weeks the Rangers start to slip and no matter how many hits Callahan dishes out in the corners,he can't get break when finishing. Prucha has been skating on the wing with Gomez and Naslund and no matter how much time they hand him on the power play,he still appears to be a shell of the 30 goal scorer. Or on another note, the kids are playing well but they still lack that presence on ice that the Rangers brought in when they had acquired Sean Avery ( who now has 15 goals in Dallas). In the back of Tom Renny's mind he feels Lauri Korpikoski game can reach new heights if he's able to play with the player he has been compared to in the past.Enter Peter Forsberg, who may wind up in Ranger blue . Although he has been said to be holding out for a possible return to the Avs, their are so many luring options that could hook the Swedish fish onto Manhattan Island. First he and Markus Naslund have long wanted to play together in the NHL. At one point Naslund had talked to his buddy about skating in NY after the lock out, but the two would take their own paths. When Forsberg was a free agent last year he was baited by Naslund to join the Canucks up in Vancouver,while in NY Drury pushed him to join the Rangers. So now two of his good friends are now in the Big Apple playing for a players coach in Tom Renny. Foppa's girlfriend is from the East Coast and the chance for her to return home may weigh on his shoulders ( see Michael Nylander and Chris Pronger).With Colorado's goaltending in question is it any clearer out of the gate that his fellow countrymen and gold medal winner gives him the better chance to win. Not winning in Atlanta,not winning in Florida,or not winning in just any city, but NY City.

When it comes to dollars and cents Forsberg would only be on the books for a few months,and depending on his health maybe they offer a possible one year extension ( with the annual cap increase).This idea only becomes more and more of a reality if the Rangers start to slide in the standings and Garden management needs a sexy move to help us forget Jagrs departure.Even more so if NJ has entered the fountain of youth and Rolston and Holik are sitting atop of the Division. Then with the P. R. dream,the Rangers step in and steel the back pages. For you who contemplate adding another center to the mix,chances are we will see some of our big kids shift to the wings creating power forwards. Dubinsky should play on the top line with Gomez,and Anismov could take the third or fourth line center position. A simple move like this adds much needed size and speed into a small Rangers lineup. Newly acquired Dan Fritsche plays all three forward positions and is not fixed in the center role.Plus having another center on each line increases your chance of wins on the draw and therefore puck possession.While the Rangers asses their young talent and see who has the guts to make it on Broadway,they just could be wading in the marsh keeping an eye on the big Swedish Fish.

DubinksyGomezZherdev

DruryForsberNaslund

KorpikoskyAnisimov-Dawes (Or Callahan)

Voros or Orr-Fitsche or Betts- Prucha or Sjostrom or 15 others...

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