Peter Forsberg wants to play for the Avalanche again so much, he’ll take a pay cut to do it.
“It’s a great organization, so I see no reason to move if it’s possible for them to keep me,” Forsberg told the Swedish newspaper, Expressen. “I guess (a salary cap) could cause some problems, but I sure hope I can stay. Everyone knows salaries will go down. That’s no big deal to me; it’ll be the same for everyone.”
Forsberg likely will be an unrestricted free agent when a new collective bargaining agreement is reached, however, and the Avs might have trouble fitting him under a possible salary cap. He made $11 million in 2003-04 for Colorado, and could draw some heavy offers from other teams if he were on the market.
Forsberg has spent time in Denver recently, after spending most of the past 12 months in Sweden and playing for Modo.
“I’ve lived (in Denver) for nine years, and I’ve missed my friends,” Forsberg told Expressen. “I’ve always liked it there, and we’ve always had a great team.”
Forsberg, who turns 32 in July, said the wrist he broke late in the season with Modo is only around 50-60 percent recovered, but the concussion that caused some worry about his future shouldn’t be a problem. He said he is eager to prove he can return to the level of play that won him the Hart Trophy in 2002-03.
“I’ll work really hard this spring and summer so I can reach the level I was a year ago,” Forsberg told Expressen. “I’m convinced I can be as good as I’ve ever been, and I’m as hungry for hockey as I was before.”
Avs left wing Steve Konowalchuk is one of 11 players under contract for next season for Colorado at what would be a payroll of $30.033 million, according to the NHLPA. Konowalchuk hopes he’ll be Forsberg’s teammate again.
“That would definitely be a good thing,” he said.
Adrian Dater can be reached at 303-820-5454 or adater@denverpost.com.
