Peter Forsberg was again the focus for fans and media at Avalanche practice Tuesday, his fourth time on the ice with the team since beginning an NHL comeback attempt.
But remaining the ever-mysterious Swede, Forsberg gave few clues about whether his comeback was going to work.
“I’m not trying to think about anything yet. I’m just going to keep on skating, keep on working and see where I’m at,” Forsberg said. “I’ve only had two (regular team) practices. They were quick, they were fast, and it’s going to take at least a couple more days to adjust. We’ll see what happens after a couple more practices.”
Something of a complication to Forsberg’s comeback is that the Avs won’t practice as a team Thursday through Sunday because of the NHL all-star break. Forsberg can skate with the Avs today as part of their game-day preparations, but NHL Players’ Association bylaws prohibit players from participating in official team activities during the break.
Forsberg’s plan is to stay in the Denver area and skate on his own. The Avs’ next practice will be Monday in St. Louis in preparation for their game against the Blues on Tuesday night.
“I’ve got to skate by myself. Hopefully I can find some ice somewhere. But it’s been a couple of hard practices. Maybe it’s good for me to rest a couple days too,” said Forsberg, who has 885 points in 706 NHL games. “It was a little easier today than (the first practice). I got to catch my breath a little between drills.
“But whether it’s between days and (weeks), I’ve got to see how long it takes. I’m not going to say whether it’s positive or not yet. It’s too early to say anything. I’ve just got to keep on working.”
Avalanche coach Joe Sacco was brief with his comments on Forsberg, saying: “He’s the only one who can tell you where he feels physically, where he’s at from that standpoint, He’s skating well. He looked good out there today.”
Forsberg, 37, skated on a line with Matt Duchene and David Jones.
“It was great. Obviously he’s got a lot of talent and sees the ice very well,” Jones said. “It was exciting to have him out on the wing. I think he looks good. I think he’s the type of guy who doesn’t want to just fit in, though. He’s the type who, when he comes back, wants to be one of the top players. But I think he looks good considering he hasn’t been with NHL players in a while.”
That seems to be at the heart of the issue. Forsberg’s oft-injured right foot appears to be holding up, thanks in part to a new brace that keeps it more stable. But the unresolved question in Forsberg’s mind seems to be that even if the foot is good enough, does he think he can play near the standard he expects?
After skating on a line with him, Duchene believes the early answer is yes.
“If I could be that good at his age, I’d be counting my blessings. He looks good, and hopefully he gets back into the lineup soon,” Duchene said.
Forsberg was impressed with Duchene as well.
“He’s a great player. I wish I had his legs. It wouldn’t be any problem out there,” Forsberg said. “I was never that quick. I didn’t know how good he was, but I was really impressed.”
Adrian Dater: 303-954-1360 or adater@denverpost.com
Phoenix at Colorado
7 p.m. tonight, ALT, 1510 AM and 93.7 FM
Spotlight on Keith Yandle: The defenseman was named to the NHL All-Star Game on Tuesday as a fill-in player for the injured Tobias Enstrom. Yandle is helping to keep the Coyotes in contention for a playoff berth in the Western Conference.
Coyotes: Phoenix lost 4-3 at home Tuesday night to Edmonton. . . . Defensemen Ed Jovanovski and Derek Morris entered Tuesday day to day because of lower-body injuries.
Avalanche: Peter Budaj will get his second consecutive start in net for the Avs. . . . Right wing Chris Stewart, benched for the entire third period of Monday night’s 4-3 victory over St. Louis at the Pepsi Center, was matter-of-fact when discussing the situation Tuesday. “If I’m not going to get the job done, they’ll find someone to get it done that night,” he said. “I just have to bring my game (today) and start fresh.” . . . Veterans Milan Hejduk and Adam Foote were given the day off from practice.
Adrian Dater, The Denver Post
