A Few Friday Thoughts

Here are a few things that I'm pondering as we head into the weekend...

1. Peter Forsberg...coming back?
- Is he going to come back? While the "will he?" or "won't he?" talk usually drives me crazy (cough, cough, Brett Farve, cough, cough), I'll definitely be monitoring how the Forsberg situation plays out. I'm not a doctor, so I won't bother attempting to dissect how his funky foot is holding up. All I know is that when this guy steps out onto the ice, he's a difference maker. The last we saw of Forsberg he was putting up 14 points in just nine games with the Colorado Avalanche in '07-'08, despite not playing for nearly the entire season. If he goes to a team where he doesn't have to be relied on as a go-to-guy (ex: Philadelphia Flyers, Washington Capitals), that team will be greatly benefited. So far the Flyers, Caps, Vancouver Canucks, Colorado Avalanche, and New York Rangers have all publicly claimed interest in signing the Swedish playmaker. For now, Forsberg wants to put his foot through the paces a little while longer before committing to a contract, whether it be in the NHL, KHL, or Swedish Elite League. Could you imagine a top six featuring Alex Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Nicklas Backstrom, and Peter Forsberg? Yikes...

2. The boys in Philly are scary good.
- How many other fans of teams in the Atlantic Division broke whatever they were holding when the Philadelphia Flyers traded for and then signed Chris Pronger? The Flyers were already a force to be reckoned with, but adding Pronger has made them the class of the Eastern Conference...easily. Literally the only question the Flyers faced coming into this season was 'how will Ray Emery hold up?' Well, it's clear he's going to hold up just fine and dandy for the orange and black. As a Ranger fan - at least they are up tight against the cap. Could you imagine if the Flyers added their old captain back into the fold? Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, Danny Briere, Simon Gagne, Scott Hartnell, Claude Giroux, James van Riemsdyk, and Peter Forsberg? I'd rather not even think about it...

3. Those freakin' Devils...
- There's a reason Lou Lamoriello was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday. It's because the guy's an absolute genius. By now, most hockey fans should've come to the realization that there will always be three constants in New Jersey:

1. They will make the playoffs.
2. They will have good goaltending (Martin Brodeur will own nearly every goalie record in the book by the time he hangs up the skates).
3. They will have "smart" hockey players.

Lamoriello's genius is simple in theory. Find smart hockey players with good work ethics and a coach who can get the most out of them. Every single player on Lamoriello's teams works their butt off and utilizes their smarts to fit into whatever system their coach employs. It's very fitting that their current and future star player, Zach Parise, is probably the single hardest worker in the NHL. The names and faces may change, but the song always remains the same for Lou Lamoriello's New Jersey Devils.