Gorilla Crouch

The Peter Forsberg trade talk is heating up, likely due to the fact the Wings are playing Foppa’s previous team this afternoon. Ansar Khan has a good article over at MLIVE that rings true to me. It sounds like the way Ken Holland operates so it wouldn’t suprise me if his take is accurate.

Wings general manager Ken Holland made one, brief inquiry about Forsberg early this season. One source said Holland told Flyers GM Paul Holmgren to give him a “courtesy call'’ if he opts to move Forsberg, an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. But, Holland also made it clear that there would be no need for Holmgren to call if Forsberg continued experiencing problems with his foot/ankle.

There have been no trade talks between the teams. That might change in the next few weeks. But, as of now, it appears that Forsberg’s chances of winding up in Detroit are slim.

“There’s been one inquiry, a long time ago, only to say that if he were healthy we’d like to hear from Paul at the deadline, if he’s going to move him,'’ a team source said. “Can’t say we’re the front-runners. We have no interest if he’s not real healthy.'’

The Wings really do not negotiate through the media and the first you typically hear about a deal is when the deal has been completed. So a source simply saying that the team would like to hear if Forsberg is on the market if he is healthy is - shall we say - stating the obvious? No real negotiation talk here, just a source saying that of course Detroit would have interest if the center is being dealt and is healthy.

The wording though, sounds exactly the way the Wings operate. Given the way Holland negotiates with players he wants to sign, he usually asks the player’s agent to give him a “courtesy call” and let him know before they sign a deal with another team. That is what happened when Boston overpaid to pry Martin Lapointe from the Wings. Holland obviously didn’t counter after he finally picked his jaw up off the floor and then he wished Lapointe well in Boston.

So Khan’s report rings true to me with the way Detroit tends to operate. This article from the Denver Post doesn’t include a source at all. All it offers up is opinion.

“I think Detroit is the front-runner to get Forsberg,” said NBC and TSN of Canada hockey analyst Pierre McGuire. “I think (Detroit general manager) Kenny Holland is going to offer a player and a first-round pick for him.”

Notice there are no sources in this article. Just one analyst offering up what he thinks. There’s certainly nothing wrong with that, but it also doesn’t indicate that Detroit has an offer on the table for Forsberg. Now if McGuire has a source within the Wings saying that is what they are offering that would be quite a story.

NHL Trade Talk Peter Forsberg Red Wings

January 28th, 2007
Categories: Red Wings . Author: Dave

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