SweWings

I doubt his parents were thinking about throwing waffles >>

Pretty sure they changed some kind of criteria after that season. Maybe that you couldn't have played more than a couple of professional seasons or something, I don't know...

The Ducks used to be owned by Disney... maybe they're just carrying the torch of Walt Disney? (And yes I know those rumors are most likely untrue so stfu)

Just sent some of these links to my friends. They can't stop laughing.

Hedberg = Swedish, plays on a crap team, relatively small contract and UFA after this season... Seems like a great fit

Thanks for that one, gave me a good chuckle . Now it's just time to wait. Hopefully Detroit management has been in contact with other teams to make sure this works out... would be a pain in the ass if he gets picked up by some random team after Detroit does the main part of the negotiating.

Money isn't an issue. I think he's made more money on real estate investments in Sweden than he ever did playing the game... EDIT: IF he actually makes a comeback; would he have to clear waivers like Nabokov?

Gotta love that a foot is so prominently displayed given Forsberg's injury history...

I think there should be a new rule introduced on the board: Starting any topic concerning Forsberg before he actually makes a come back will result in a permanent ban.

So... Toronto?

Well I guess there are many ways to make a name for yourself...

This. And Ovie will certainly bounce back, maybe even this season - all it takes is a month-long hot streak and he'll be challenging at the top again. He would have to go on one hell of a spree to come first but at least he might get "respectable" numbers. On the other hand, he might want to save it for the play-offs...

Given the teams injuries any returning player is great news!

Thank god the Red Wings don't have to deal with this crap year in and year out. I really don't understand why the Leafs do this either but I guess it's for the front office to have something to do since the team sucks. However, most of these ideas seem to be improvements so let's see what happens.

If Larsson has a good play-off in Sweden and a good training camp after summer then this is possible scenario. But Larsson does need to prove himself, the best thing would be for him to somehow grab the No. 1 spot with the national team during the world championship, but given the glut of goalies Sweden seems to have right now, that seems unlikely.

For some reason I find this picture to be incredibly creepy.

Eklund strikes again! Do people actually take this guy seriously?

So we're back to this injury plagued s***...

What a clown.

I call crow cuz you lost fate in the power of the IRONHOOK! (Amazing super hero name btw)

Crow?

And now time for Järnkrok to rock again!

Järnkrok has been good. I saw the game against Russia and he did some cool stuff. Gonna be fun to follow his development.

Not like the AHL = NHL either though... For a goalie, the playing style doesn't really differ. If you've shown potential in the AHL, SEL, KHL or any of the other major national leagues, and preferably some international experience, then you need to show what you can do in the NHL. For a goalkeeper, more than any other position, the step up in relative skill level (passing, shooting, pace, etc.) matters more than big/small rink, physicality, etc. You can't really prove that you are NHL ready until you ACTUALLY play in the NHL.

I think you're exaggerating more than a little but I see your point. Thing is, a lot of current European goalkeepers in the NHL don't really take the AHL path, especially in recent years. That might partially be due to desperation but also because they've often proven themselves in their domestic league + international competitions and that experience tends to be equivalent to any AHL experience. If Larsson keeps his current stats in the Swedish league he will probably win Best Goalkeeper of the Year in the SEL and be among the front runners for the No. 1 in the Swedish national team in the 2011 WC. If he grabs that spot and does well, a big IF considering there will probably be more than 1 NHL goalie around, then I don't see why Detroit wouldn't take a chance on him as back up.