Free Agency Matchmaker: the Rest of the Field

Well, time is quickly running out before the free agent market opens tomorrow. Due to some pretty poor planning, I won't be able to chronicle all of the remaining top tier free agents in their own posts. For the sake of making sure they are all given their due before July 1st, I've got a big, huge, monster post for you today, which dissects the rest of the top tier players.

Teemu Selanne - RW - Anaheim Ducks
Fresh off a Stanley Cup victory, Selanne is one of the biggest names on the market this July, and rightfully so. He scored 98 points during the regular season, his highest total in almost a decade, and the Finnish Flash's 15 post season points were a career high. What's most interesting to note is that Selanne picked up some of the Ducks' style of play, notching 82 PIM. That's a total that almost doubles high previous career high. Apparently, the Ducks' physical play was emphasized up and down the lineup.

Prediction: Selanne has said himself that he would love to retire on top. After winning the Stanley Cup this season, I believe he has two options. He turns 37 on July third, and can either try and cash in one last time (both in $ and championship terms) with the Ducks, or pull a Bourque and call it a career. My guess is that he'll hang up the skates... All that being said, there will be a long list of suitors for Selanne's services, but few, if any, offering a long term lease.

Paul Kariya - LW - Nashville Predators
Kariya played alongside Selanne for many years in Anaheim, but unlike the Finn, has the potential to suit up for many more years in the NHL. At 32 years of age, Kariya scored 76 points this season, leading the Predators to a 110 point season. All signs point to Kariya leaving the Predators, and the firesale/potential move of the team are the main catalysts on that front. There's almost no way Kariya, and fellow UFA/teammate Peter Forsberg re-sign in Nashville. Or in Hamilton. Or in Kansas City.

Prediction: It's tough to say where Kariya will end up. There are a number of teams who would love to have his services, but the rumor from has been eerily quiet. One thing is for sure, Kariya won't be back in Music City.

Keith Tkachuk - C/LW - Atlanta Thrashers/St. Louis Blues
Tkachuk is one of the premier power forwards in the game today, and that was again the case for Tkachuk during the 2006-07 season. The winger has seen his numbers decline in recent years, but he is still a serious asset to any team that needs a big body up front. Prior to the trade deadline, Tkachuk was traded from St. Louis to Atlanta, to help with the Thrasher's playoff push. They were ousted in the first round by the Rangers, but he managed to put up 18 points in 22 games during his short stay in Atlanta (including playoffs). Earlier this week, his rights were traded back to St. Louis... The Blues are reportedly offering 2 years in the neighborhood of $3.5 mil.

Prediction: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution thinks that by trading Tkachuk back to Missouri, the chances of him re-signing in Atlanta have been increased. While I believe there are only two front runners for his services (St. Louis and Atlanta), I also think that this trade is an indicator that he will re-sign with, and may finish his career in St. Louis.

Jason Blake - LW - New York Islanders
Oh, Jason Blake. How you pull at my heart strings. You've had your best seasons on Long Island, and were continually given a shot by a last place team that decided to keep you around after you put up 18 points in 82 games during the 2001-02 season on the basis of your work ethic. All that hard work has paid off, and now you're a top free agent looking for a big pay day. After the Islanders decided to hold onto you at the trade deadline, you gushed about how much you always wanted to be on Long Island. Rumors say that the Islanders offered you $10 mil over three years, and you declined to test the open waters. Good luck on the high seas Jason, as all signs point to the Islanders shifting their sights to Ryan Smyth.

Prediction: Minnesota and Detroit have been reported to make a push at Blake, and my feelings are that Blake would love to return home to Minnesota... Assuming the price is right.

Sheldon Souray - D - Montreal Canadiens
Souray is by far the #1 blue liner on the market this off season. It seems as if he's been rumored to go to every NHL city, and there's no reason to think half of those rumors don't have a slice of truth in them. He would fit nicely in almost any lineup and is a sure fire way for a team to bolster it's defensive corps, while providing a boost to the power play. Souray had a whopping 64 points last season, huge numbers for a defenseman, but they come at the price of a -28 +/- rating. To his credit, Souray's prior career low plus-minus was -11.

Prediction: Spector suggests that Souray will sign with a Californian team, and I tend to agree. While I find it hard to believe Souray would like to play for the Kings, if either San Jose or Anaheim can find the money for him, it would be a great fit. I'm going with San Jose on this one, but it's a pure guess.

Dominik Hasek - G - Detroit Red Wings
If you're looking for a bad group of free agents this season, which is really pretty hard to find, then you've come to the right place. J.S. Giguere has already re-signed in Anaheim, and unless you think Ed Belfour is the answer to your team's goaltending woes, the only serious starting net minder on the market is The Dominator. He made less than one million last season in Detroit, while proving he is still a stellar #1 net minder... While his resume does include a .913 save percentage in 06-07, there are other, more impressive numbers. Hasek turned 42 (yes, forty fucking two) in January and notched 38 wins (T-6th NHL), 8 shutouts (2nd NHL), a 2.05 GAA (2nd NHL) this past season. In the playoffs, his GAA was a minuscule 1.79 over an 18 game span, which trailed only Roberto Luongo (1.75 in 12 games) and Marty Turco (1.30 in 7 games).

Prediction: The Wings are certainly interested in re-signing Hasek, and I think that the interest is mutual. Hasek would probably love nothing more than to stay in Detroit, get a nice pay day and have a shot at winning another Cup.

Free Agency Matchmaker: Ryan Smyth

The start of free agency (July 1) is almost upon us, and to help shed some light on the subject, BMR brings you the fifth in a series of profiles chronicling this summer's free agent class. Next up is Edmonton's Long Island's Ryan Smyth.

One of the most talked about free agents this off season has been none other than Captain Canada, Ryan Smyth. If you're sober enough to remember February, you'll remember that Smyth was shipped from Edmonton to the New York Islanders in a trade deadline day blockbuster. Since he left town, the Oilers enjoyed a free fall ending to their season, all the while hoping to lure Smyth back home. There has been no end to the speculation regarding where Smyth will sign, and the further we get from February 26th, the more likely it seems that Smyth will sign elsewhere. Only time will tell. What we do know for sure is that Smyth will make a huge impact with whichever team can ink him.

It's hard to imagine Smyth playing in anything other than blue and orange -- whether it's in Edmonton or on Long Island. ViewImages

Smyth is a leader, as he wore an 'A' for Edmonton this past season and plays with a serious passion for the game. There's absolutely no denying that he comes to play on a nightly basis.

This summer, he is hitting the free agent market for the first time at the age of 31. Without a doubt, he is the filet mignon of this year's free agent class, right up there with Scott Gomez, Paul Kariya, Peter Forsberg and a host of others.

Much like Gomez, Smyth is a steady performer on the ice. He has scored between 61 and 68 points each of the past four seasons, with the highest total (68) coming this past season. Smyth's style of play is probably best described by TSN's scouting report; "Goes to the net with ample vigor and scores the majority of his goals due to supreme determination."

Of course, no profile of Smyth is complete without mentioning his love for the Oilers. He grew up in Banff, Alberta, which happens to be closer to Calgary than Edmonton, but he nonetheless bleeds blue and orange (the Oiler kind). Need proof? Look no further than Smyth's farewell press conference after being traded in February.

And of course who can forget Knob Hockey's hidden camera in the Oiler's dressing room during their 2006 playoff run...


Matchmaker, Matchmaker make me a match...
(in no particular order)

• New York Islanders: The Islanders like Ryan Smyth. A lot. Everything coming out of Long Island these days gives the indication that the Islanders are doing everything they can to keep Smyth on the Island, even if that means parting ways with Jason Blake. The team seems to be willing to shell out the big bucks to keep him there, but if money doesn't tempt Smyth, then he will be looking elsewhere. If there's one player that might not be swayed by an American Dollar, it's this guy. Nonetheless, the Islanders will probably be able to put together something very tempting to Smyth, whether that means a large sum or a long term deal. They did it with Yashin and DiPietro, and there's no reason to believe owner Charles Wang will stop now... All that being said, the Islanders would make Smyth the face of the franchise if he re-signs, which is exactly what he was for the Oilers.
  
• Edmonton Oilers: The Oilers are the hometown team, and are trying to regain a player that played with them for 12 seasons and was originally drafted by the organization back in 1994. Sending Smyth to Long Island at the deadline was completely unexpected, and gave him a pretty good shock. It'll be interesting to see how much that hurts their chances of signing him. Do they get a hometown advantage and/or discount, or are they paying full price? One thing is for sure, they are not going to go down without a fight. Smyth was the face of the team, not to mention provided a whole lot of other intangibles, and is a mighty big figure in the city of Edmonton. Even if they burned a bridge or two by sending Smyth across the continent, they still have a hell of a chance to sign him.
• Calgary Flames: There have been rumors around the internets that the Islanders and Flames were on the verge of a deal that would send Smyth to Calgary, similar to the Timonen/Hartnell trade. Let's just put this one to bed right now. If Smyth is as much of an Oiler as he seems to be, he would never sign with Calgary. I'm sure the Flames know this, and there's no way they would trade for the guy prior to July 1 if they felt they would not be able to sign him. Doing that would be silly. The numbers aren't right for the deal, either. The Flames have already committed about $35 million to next season, and have a good amount of free agents left to re-sign. They have got the room to sign a big name, but it would probably cost them a pretty penny to make Smyth a part of the team. Even if money isn't a huge factor for Smyth, there's no doubt it would take a little extra to get him to play for Edmonton's rival.
  
• Everyone else: There are a number of teams out there that can offer Smyth some serious cash. Off the top of my head, Colorado, San Jose, the Rangers, Philadelphia and St. Louis all come to mind. They are all the teams that are going to be trying to make a splash this July, and there are probably others out there that I didn't mention. The reason that I lump them all together is that there is no one team from the aforementioned group that, I think, would appeal to Smyth more than any of the others. All of these teams are hoping that Smyth goes to the highest better, or that the location/talent level of their team sets them apart from the crowd.
  

If you put a gun to my head and made me choose a destination for Smyth: This decision is a tough nut to crack. In my mind, there are two teams that stand head and shoulders above the rest. I hope I'm wrong about this, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Smyth will sign back in Edmonton. All we keep hearing from Edmonton is how badly Kevin Lowe wants to make a splash, in any capacity, and how much the team means to Smyth. The two parties have had some problems with contracts in the past (in the latest instance, it's rumored that the team traded him in February, since no contract could be agreed upon prior to the trade deadline), but I think they'll find a way to work things out.

For fuck's sake and all that is Bobby Nystrom, I hope I'm wrong. I'm starting the campaign right here and now; Please Ryan, stay on Long Island.

Free Agency Matchmaker: Scott Gomez

The start of free agency (July 1) is almost upon us, and to help shed some light on the subject, BMR brings you the fourth in a series of profiles chronicling this summer's free agent class. Next up is New Jersey's Scott Gomez.

In this year's free agent class, Scott Gomez is probably the safest bet. He has steadily performed at a high level for the Devils ever since he set foot on the Meadowlands' ice. Over the last seven seasons, he's helped lead the Devils to two Stanley Cups, while missing only 26 games over that span.

Mmm... Stanley Cup... Devils Weapon

Every year, you know exactly what you're going to get out of Gomez on the ice. He has scored 60 or more points five times in his career, but only once has he scored more than 70 (83 in 05-06). He had never missed more than 6 games in a season, until this past year when he missed a grand total of 10. We might as well call him hockey's version of 'Mr. Consistency'.

It hasn't been all peaches and cream for Gomez in New Jersey. Two summers ago, the Devils were not able to lock him up long term. Gomez signed for only one year, as the Devils failed to lock up their home grown star long term. Last summer, New Jersey's cap woes created an even more difficult situation. The two sides ended up going to arbitration, where Gomez was awarded a one-year deal valued at $5 million. There was a lost of speculation as to whether or not the Devils would even accept the deal due to cap constraints, but in the end they were able to hold onto him.

Matchmaker, Matchmaker make me a match...
(in no particular order)

• New Jersey Devils: This one seems to be a sure bet; the Devils won't re-sign Scott Gomez. After last year's arbitration issues, and the continuing crunch of the salary cap in New Jersey, it's going to be tough for them to hold onto their star. The Devils have already used $30 million of next season's cap space committed to only 11 players. It's going to be a real tight squeeze again this year in New Jersey. As the Star Ledger reports, it just doesn't look good.
  
• Philadelphia Flyers: Well, it seems that I name the Flyers in each one of these articles as a possible suitor. It's not without reason, though. The Toronto Sun is reporting that the Flyers have contacted the Devils about acquiring Gomez's rights prior to July 1st. For New Jersey's sake, they should do it. There's no reason not to take a first or second round pick for a guy whom you most likely won't re-sign anyway.
• Edmonton Oilers: What's also interesting is that the Sun went on to say that Kevin Lowe has also called the Devils about the pre-July 1st rights to Gomez. We all know that the Oilers are looking to improve fast this off season, and Gomez would certainly fill the gap left by Ryan Smyth. To add to that, Gomez would probably come a bit cheaper. He is also from Alaska, which is a heck of a lot closer to Edmonton than New Jersey.
  
• Calgary Flames/Ottawa Senators: Rumors have been swirling about the possibility of these two teams signings Gomez, but Fox Sport's Spector has tried to put it all to rest. As it stands right now, neither team has the cap room.

If you put a gun to my head and made me choose a destination for Gomez: I'm going to go out on a limb and say Edmonton. All we keep hearing from Edmonton is how badly Kevin Lowe wants to make a splash, in any capacity, and I think he's going to get his chance in Gomez. Gomez would fit the team very nicely, and might feel better about the location, since he is from that side of the continent. That being said, there are going to be some serious shots taken at him by other northeastern teams, such as the Rangers, Islanders and Flyers.

Free Agency Matchmaker: Daniel Briere

The start of free agency (July 1) is almost upon us, and to help shed some light on the subject, BMR brings you the third in a series of profiles chronicling this summer's free agent class. Next up is Buffalo's Daniel Briere.

In sports, many times we see teams give huge contracts to players coming off one whale of a season during the final year of a contract. It happens time and time again, as GMs make short sighted deals with hot free agents that may or may not pan out in the long run. Buffalo's Daniel Briere might be the next beneficiary of this type of spending. That's not to say Briere wasn't a good player prior to this season, but his game took a monster leap in the final year of his contract with Buffalo.

It's awkward fan photo time! ClassicBuffalo.com

Briere had a career year in 06-07, going 32-63-95 in 81 games. The Sabres had the league's best offense, and Briere was the biggest reason for it, leading the team in points and power play points. This guy was friggin' dynamite on the ice.

A year ago, Briere was on pace to put up similar numbers, but was sidelined with abdominal surgery for 24 games. Nonetheless, he still managed to put up 58 points in 48 games, and was on pace for a 100 point season.

Prior to the lockout, his career high in points was 65, and at only 5'10" Briere got pushed around a lot in the 'old' NHL. That's not the case anymore. His speed and size have helped make Briere successful in the 'new' NHL, and he is a prime example for the type of player that the rule changes have benefited the most.

Matchmaker, Matchmaker make me a match...
(in no particular order)

• Buffalo Sabres: If you've been following the Briere/Drury situation up in Buffalo at all, you know that the Sabres will more than likely not be able to afford both of them. While Drury is the heart and soul of the team, Briere is a dynamic offensive player in his prime. The Sabres have a very tough decision ahead of them, pertaining to which player they intend to keep, if not both. They've got $28 million locked up for next season and a host of other free agents including Thomas Vanek, Teppo Numminen and Dainius Zubrus. Briere's price tag looks to be somewhere between $6.5 and $7.5 million, a hefty sum for the Sabres to try and come up with. The Toronto Sun is reporting that the Sabres still have yet to make an offer to both Drury and Briere. Yikes.
  
• Philadelphia Flyers: The word around the league is that the Flyers are looking to make a big splash this off season via free agency, and Briere is one of the players that they have their sights set on. Money is going to be awfully tight in Philly, but if they cap goes high enough, they should have enough money to sign a big name free agent. Outside of that, the main drawback that Philly faces is the stigma of having the league's worst record this past season. They're going to have their work cut out for them in convincing players that they are going to be competitive next season. To their credit, acquiring Timonen, Hartnell and Biron has gone a long way towards accomplishing that.
  
• Colorado Avalanche: The Avs are a team that has come up in each of these Matchmaker articles, and that's because I'm convinced that they're going to make a big splash in July. The team is keeping quiet, but don't let that fool you. As I've said before, they have the young talent, the money and a half decent 06/07 record to sell to free agents. Watch out.
  
• Montreal Canadiens: Briere grew up near Montreal, and the hometown team always has a shot at signing the hometown guy. The Habs are expected to make an offer to Briere, but it might not be the biggest one on the table. They have $30 mil committed to next season, and a bunch of free agents that they need to re-sign. The biggest name of the bunch is defense man Sheldon Souray, who is one of the top defenders on the market this July.
  

If you put a gun to my head and made me choose a destination for Briere: This is probably the toughest decision that I've had to make yet. I think the Sabres and Flyers are the two leading candidates in this race.

From all indications, Philly wants nothing more than to make a splash in the free agent market, even if that only means signing one big name. On the other side of things, it would be a disaster for Buffalo if they lost both Drury and Briere to free agency. That's what decides it for me. Darcy Regier is a smart man, and realizes that he needs to re-sign one of them. My guess is, if he had to choose only one of them, it would certainly be the offensive magician, Briere.

That's my final answer. I think Briere will stay in Buffalo. Take it for what it's worth.

Free Agency Matchmaker: Chris Drury

Chris Drury might like his teammates in Buffalo more than we could have imagined.
ViewImages.com

The start of free agency (July 1) is almost upon us, and to help shed some light on the subject, BMR brings you the second in a series of profiles chronicling this summer's free agent class. Next up is Buffalo's Chris Drury.

We have all heard the story -- it's brought up almost every year during the playoffs -- of Chris Drury's exploits in Little League Baseball. What we don't hear enough about is Drury's aptitude for the game of hockey. Until he became the star of the show in Buffalo, fans didn't hear a whole lot about him, as he played in the shadows of Forsberg, Sakic and Roy in Colorado. Believe it or not, the guy kneeling in the picture above is actually a very talented hockey player.

This is one of those player-uniform combinations that really makes my head hurt. In five years no one will believe it ever happened. CalgaryFlames.com

Drury doesn't put up gaudy numbers, but he has been a solid and steady performer throughout his NHL career, even during the odd year that he spent in Calgary (remember that?). He is not a prolific scorer, as he has averaged only .75 points per game during his eight year career. His plus/minus isn't amazing, notching a career high of +9 in his rookie season and he only put up a +1 this season, while teammate Thomas Vanek led the league at +47.

What the 30-year old Drury does bring to the table are his intangibles; his work ethic, guts, grit, determination and a whole boatload of leadership. Drury has all the things that you want in a leader and excels at all the things you cannot quantify. For the past two seasons Drury has been the face of a team that has no big name superstars. He has co-captained the Sabres with Donald Briere since the lockout, and has been a vital part of the team's recent success.


Matchmaker, Matchmaker make me a match...
(in no particular order)

• Buffalo Sabres: The prevailing notion around the league is that the Sabres are going to have to make a very serious choice this summer; do they sign Briere, Drury or neither? Drury is undoubtedly the cheaper option, but Briere provides an irreplaceable amount of offense. Chances are that the Sabres are going to opt for Briere and his 95 points, but his price tag is going to be steep. Briere made $5 million this year, a year in which he topped his highest career point total by 30. Drury, on the other hand, made $3.154 million, and hasn't seen his number dramatically increase in the past few years. Nonetheless, he'll probably be looking for a raise big enough to significantly hinder Buffalo's ability to resign both captains (I'm not trying to imply he will do that on purpose, he'll likely try and do anything but). Case and point; Drury in a Sabres uni isn't looking too convincing at this point. Drury is a relatively young UFA and waiting until July 1 should benefit him greatly... Let's not forget about Thomas Vanek; a RFA coming off a career year, who will also be looking for big money.
  
• New York Rangers: The Rangers are flying under the radar in the Drury sweepstakes, but make no mistake that they are a leading candidate. Drury grew up in Trumbull, Connecticut, only an hour away from the Garden and it's not so hard to believe it when Wikipedia tells you that he's a Yankee and Ranger fan. Hometown advantage? You better believe it. The word out of Buffalo is that Drury is going to be looking for a team that has a shot to win it all, and a young up and coming Ranger team fits the bill. As I went over in the Peter Forsberg article, the Rangers have the cap room to grab a big name free agent. Drury might just be the easiest one for them to get their hands on.
  
• Colorado Avalanche: We might as well take a look at this angle, as Drury could certainly have a second go around in Denver. He would be joining a team that's talented, young, well under the cap, and could throw the house at him if they wanted to. That's going to be the key this off season. Who, if anyone, do the Avs want to throw all their cap space at? Even the rumor mill has been very hush-hush on this possibility. I can't wait to see how it plays out.
  
• Los Angeles Kings: The Kings are another team rumored to be interested in Drury, and rightfully so. They've got miles of cap space. What kills this rumor for me? Their record and their history. The Kings were the third worst team in the NHL this year and haven't had serious success in a long time. If Drury is at all interested in playing for a contender, he won't make a stop in L.A.
  
• San Jose Sharks: As rumors continue to swirl about Drury, the Sharks are rumored to be a major suitor. They have the talent to convince Drury they have a shot at a cup, and since Drury is in the $4 million neighborhood, he would fit better under the cap for them than most of the top free agents out there. He doesn't quite fit into the Sharks lineup, though. They already have gifted offensive minded players in Cheechoo and Marleau and aren't in need of a big name center. They've already got Thornton, Marleau and a heap of young players in the middle. It's also worthy to note that Drury's former teammate and friend in Buffalo, Mike Grier, is in San Jose. Grier might have some interesting things to say to Drury about the situation. We'll just have to wait and see if switching coasts is something Drury would be interested in doing.
  

If you put a gun to my head and made me choose a destination for Drury: It would be the Garden, hands down. Drury is an east coast guy, and I don't see him going across the country to play hockey. The Rangers have as talented a core of young players as any team in the league, and they have just as much money to spend, too. Recent success? Oh yeah, they've got that too. The impending free agency of Vanek and Briere in Buffalo will probably leave Drury as the odd man out. Unless for some odd reason Briere has zero desire to play in Buffalo, the Sabres are probably going to spend what money they do have on Vanek and Briere. Colorado is a wild card in all of this. Don't count them out of it, but they're going to need to make a series play to take Drury away from home.

Free Agency Matchmaker: Peter Forsberg

It's really easy to imagine seeing this photo on Match.com. Nettavisen.no

The start of free agency (July 1) is almost upon us, and to help shed some light on the subject we bring you the first in a series of profiles of this season's class of top free agents. First up is Peter Forsberg.

The man pictured to your left needs no introduction. What he does need, is an NHL team to call his own. Step right up NHL GMs! He enjoys candlelit dinners, long walks on the beach... Well, I don't know if he really does enjoy those things, but he certainly is good at his day job.

Forsberg has battled serious injury problems during the past three seasons; from groin strains to ankle and wrist injuries, even a concussion. Those problems have limited him to 156 games over that span. That averages out to 52 games played per year.

Despite those problems, Forsberg is still one of the premier players in the league and is arguably the best player to ever come out of Sweden. Over those three injury plagued seasons he still averaged 1.19 points per game and had an average plus minus rating of +14.6. Those numbers are even more impressive considering that he played the majority of the 06-07 season for Philadelphia, the NHL's worst team.

To play devil's advocate, Forsberg can be looked at as a shaky signing. He will be 34 in July probably still has a few good years left, but there's always the chance that his next injury (and it seems likely there will be a next injury) could be the one that ends his career for good. In 12 NHL seasons, Forsberg has managed to play 70 or more games five times, the last of those seasons coming in 2002-03. It's almost certain that he will spend at least a small chunk of the year on the shelf.

Despite his injury problems, it's clear that any NHL team would love to have Forsberg in their lineup, but who will have the most realistic shot at obtaining the Swede?

Two years ago, Forsberg signed with Philadelphia as an unrestricted free agent. At the time, the Flyers were a serious competitor in the East and threw big money in his direction ($5.75 mil this season). List some of the main factors Forsberg will look at... competitive teams, $, previous experience, who has cap room.

Matchmaker, Matchmaker make me a match...
(in no particular order)

• Philadelphia Flyers: Forsberg may choose to go back to the team that traded him in February, and if so, the Flyers will certainly have the money to do it. NHLNumbers.com estimates the Flyer's contract commitments for 2007-08 to be in the neighborhood of $31 million. There are serious questions about this option; is Philly a town Forsberg wants to be in, and does he want to be part of a rebuilding project? Let's face it. Despite the acquisition of Martin Biron, the Flyers aren't going to be a contender next year. If winning another title is part of Forsberg's plan, and there's a good chance it is, Philly may drop on his list.
  
• MoDo (Swedish Elite League): Rumor has it that there is currently an offer on the table from MoDo asking Forsberg to return home. He would certainly be taking a pay cut, but he is adored in Sweden, and a ticket home is never something that is easy to turn down. Earlier in the season Mats Sundin turned down an offer to play in Sweden. We will have to wait and see if Forsberg does the same. Remember, prior to the lockout it was rumored that Forsberg would return to Sweden. Thanks to the lockout he did without having to choose between Sweden and the NHL, but did he get the urge to play at home out of his system?
  
• Nashville Predators: You certainly can't take them out of the equation, as Forsberg would have the opportunity to play along side Paul Kariya and a host of other talented players on what should be a competitive team. That begin said, as the scenario of Nashville relocating gains steam, so does the scenario of many of the Predators free agents (Forsberg, Kariya, Timonen) skipping town. Unless things really accelerate, it looks like they will have at least one more season in Nashville, but it may not be a location that is attractive for the long-term. The Predators do have the cap space (approx. $28 mil committed to 07-08) to sign both Kariya and Forsberg, but there are also 14 other expiring contracts on their roster. Signing both players, who will be asking for at least five million a piece, may not leave enough room to sign Timonen (who is coming off a career year and will certainly be looking for more than this season's $2.28 mil) and the rest of the pack.
  
• Dallas Stars: Forsberg could fit in as a short term replacement for the aging Mike Modano, or would look great playing alongside Modano, Jere Lehtinen and Brenden Morrow. The problem with this scenario is that the numbers don't look so great. Dallas is committed to ~$40 million for next season and has a plethora of free agents. Leading scorer Mike Riberio is a RFA, and will undoubtedly be looking for more than the $1.9 mil he made this season. The contracts of 10 other players, including Eric Lindros, Patrick Stefan, Daryl Sydor and Jussi Jokinen are also up. Even if Dallas lets most of those players walk (likely), they still need room for replacements.
  
• Colorado Avalanche: It has been reported that the Avalanche currently have about $30 million locked up for next season, leaving a lot of wiggle room under a salary cap which is expected to increase. To add to that, they only have two RFAs to worry about in Marek Svatos and Cody McCormick. Forsberg is going to cost a pretty penny, but he spent most of his career in Colorado, including two Stanley Cup victories. They certainly have a 'home town advantage' so to speak. Colorado missed the playoffs this season and didn't roll through the West like we expect them to - don't let the facade fool you. This team is bursting at the seams with young talent and is on it's way up (Svatos, Wolski, Stastny and Liles to name a few). If the Avs can get a solid net minder, be it through Budaj's development or free agency, this team will be making some serious noise next year. One side note: Colorado would only be committed to about $24 million next season, if they didn't have Jose Theodore's lousy contract. Just imagine all of the possibilities!
  
• Detroit Red Wings: If Forsberg wants to go to a Cup Contender, and loyalty to Colorado isn't a factor, here's his next stop. Detroit came up short this year, but looks as if the Wings will be able to have continued success in the future. Money isn't as much of a problem in Detroit as it is in Dallas, but they face the same problem that Nashville is facing. Chris Chelios, Robert Lang, Dominik Hasek, Todd Bertuzzi, Kyle Calder, Mathieu Schneider and Danny Markov are all unrestricted. Yikes. It's tough to imagine them resigning half those guys and still having room for Forsberg.
  
• San Jose Sharks: This one is purely a hypothetical, but think about it. It almost makes too much sense. Yes, the Sharks were right up against the cap this year, but that was in part to Vladimir Malakhov's $3.6 million dollar retirement. Best of all, they have all their core players signed. They are looking at a total of eight free agents (5 UFA, 3 RFA), the big names being Bill Guerin, Scott Hannan and Craig Rivet. Let's get to the numbers. The Sharks have ~$35 million committed to next season. We'll say that the cap moves to $46 mil next year, leaving San Jose ~$11 million under the cap. If they ink Forsberg for $6 mil (I'm being a bit generous), let Guerin and Rivet walk, sign Hannan for $2.5 (again, a bit generous), that leaves ~$2.5 to fill in the rest. Forsberg's offensive output replaces Guerin's, who was a rental and might not want to stay in San Jose anyway. There is one string attached; the Sharks must be confident enough to leave their defense mostly as is. That means an increased role for Matt Carle and Marc-Edouard Vlasic.
  
• New York Rangers: You can bet the Blueshirts will be interested in a big name like Forsberg, but this scenario may be a little far fetched. Imaging him alongside Prucha and Jagr is a frightening possibility... Spotlight? Check. Contender? Check. Not relocating? Check. Cap room? Sort of. Free agents? Tons. Like San Jose, the Rangers are looking at about $35 million already committed. They can drop Kevin Weekes and Sandis Ozolinsh, freeing up $4.75 mil. That doesn't replace the fact that they have 12 free agents to be including, Petr Prucha, Henrik Lundqvist, Sean Avery and Brendan Shanahan. Prucha and Lundqvist made a combined $1.38 last season. You can bet that figure is going to sky rocket. This scenario has some possibilities, but I feel like the Rangers have too many players to resign to take a realistic shot at Forsberg. Of course, if for some reason they let Shanny and Avery walk, all bets are off.

If you put a gun to my head and made me choose a destination for Forsberg: I don't like making predictions, and my Stanley Cup pick showed everyone that I'm not good at them, either (I picked the Sens in seven). That didn't work out well. Nonetheless, I'm going to stick my neck out for your entertainment. If playing for MoDo doesn't interest Forsberg, then returning to Colorado surely would. He turned down more money from Colorado in 2005 to go to Philly, but that experiment hasn't worked out. With a little elbow grease the Avs will be a contender, they have the money to throw at him, and have a young team that isn't in any danger of being broken up through free agency. Throw in the fact that Forsberg has already spent 10 seasons in the organization, and that's where I feel he will be as long as he didn't burn too many bridges on his way out in '05.