Predators acquire Forsberg from Flyers
PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - The Nashville Predators, the NHL's top team, got a bit better on Thursday when they acquired former league MVP Peter Forsberg from the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Predators (39-16-3), who led the overall NHL standings with 81 points going into Thursday's action, paid a hefty price for the all-star Swede, sending winger Scottie Upshall, defenseman Ryan Parent and a third-round pick to Philadelphia.
By obtaining Forsberg, however, the Predators have signaled they plan to make a serious run at the first Stanley Cup in their franchise history.
"Peter Forsberg is one of the NHL's most complete players and the ultimate competitor -- a consistent winner who has year in and year out been a difference-maker in the Stanley Cup Playoffs," Predators general manager David Poile told the team's Web site.
"He strengthens our club up the middle and will provide another battle-tested, veteran voice to our dressing room.
"Adding a player of this caliber also sends a strong message to our fans that the Nashville Predators are prepared to compete at the highest level."
Along with grit and scoring, Forsberg brings plenty of leadership to the Predators having helped guide the Colorado Avalanche to Stanley Cup championships in 1996 and 2001 and Sweden to Olympic gold medals in 1994 and 2006.
The 33-year-old center, who was immortalized on a Swedish postage stamp after scoring the winning goal during the gold medal game at the 1994 Olympics, has more career playoff points (162) than the rest of the Predators lineup (155).
"Forsberg has been on our radar, in terms of who might be available for months, not weeks," Predators head coach Barry Trotz told Canada's all sport television network TSN. "It was always based on speculation, but as a group we said, let's not lose this guy.
"This trade could be our defining moment and we didn't want to look back 20 years from now and wonder whether or not the Peter Forsberg trade might have made a difference on helping the Nashville Predators win the Stanley Cup."
Long considered one of NHL's most complete players with equal parts of talent and toughness, Forsberg won the Hart trophy as the league's most valuable player in 2003 along with the Art Ross trophy as the scoring champion.
Over his 11-year career Forsberg, who will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, has averaged over a point per game in both the Stanley Cup playoffs and the regular season.
Limited to just 40 games this season due to a number of injuries, Forsberg continues to maintain a point per game pace with 11 goals and 29 assists.
