THE FORSBERG WATCH: The most unlikely retirement story circulating last week revolved around Colorado's Forsberg, who was chasing his long-time friend, Markus Naslund, for the NHL scoring title through the final weekend of the season.
There is little chance that Forsberg, at age 29 and in the midst of an MVP-type season, will play in the NHL as long as Messier or even Lemieux, but the odds are equally small that he will bolt the Avalanche following this season to return to Sweden.
The rumors of Forsberg's imminent departure began when the Swedish newspaper, Aftonbladet, published a headline in its Monday edition, which read: "Peter is on his way home."
Upon closer examination, the story gives itself an all-important out. It suggested that Forsberg could return to play in Sweden as early as next year, but implied that it might be two or more years before he actually follows through on that course of action.
A more likely scenario: That Forsberg will sign a one-year extension with the Avalanche following the season and return to play in the NHL for the upcoming 2003-04 season.
Then, depending upon the state of labor negotiations between the league and the players' association, Forsberg could opt to play for MoDo, his former team, during the 2004-05 season, which many people believe will be cancelled anyway because of a lockout.
Forsberg's father Kent, a former Swedish national team coach, works in MoDo's front office as the team's primary talent scout. Traditionally, many of Sweden's top NHLers - from Hakan Loob to Borje Salming - finish their careers back where they started and Forsberg, like Naslund, has made no secret of the fact that that is also his intention.
The only real issue is the timing.
Forsberg told reporters in Denver this week to check the story closely and noted that he is not quoted at all.
"I didn't say a word," Forsberg told The Denver Post. "They just make it up. It's always been like that. My contract is up, and they talked about it last time, too.
"I read my dad's quotes, but it's nothing specific. He's just saying that my contract is up. The guy's just making a story out of nothing. You know how the reporters are."
Forsberg continued: "I'm not going to say anything about going here and there. I like it here. We'll see what happens."
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