Last night, I was talking on the phone to MegMegMeg, and she brought up how she just wished Forsberg would do what he was going to do.

I said, “He should stay in Philly. He should stay with his team. He would never have to buy a beer in a Philly bar ever again.”

That may not be much motivation for a star hockey player, but for me, hell yeah. I may even be able to tolerate some seriously hideous places with that kind of deal (because I would be drunk).

But seriously, look at the situation. Forsberg signed on the dotted line. His contract expires at the end of the season, and he is wanted back. He could go somewhere else and play for a Cup, even get a few players worth their salt back (most likely not, since who wants to give up good players for one player in a Cup run), and then sign with Philly again. But the thing that hasn’t factored into all of the rumors is. he has the “C”

It’s one thing to be a rent a player for a team. It’s all good and fine, but he is the team captain. He has a certain responsibility to the team that no other player has. In a town that has come so close in the past, and is watching their team fall so low, to watch their big dream skate off to greener pastures for a one off, it would be heart breaking. Even if Forsberg resigned, what would his return be like? Would the Flyers fans, who have watched players of great skill before suffer and toil because they believed in the team, welcome him back with open arms? Maybe.

But if you look at the year he has had, and the questions about his ankles, maybe finishing out of the playoffs, resting for a while, and seeing who comes along with a very high draft pick (if they still own one) may be just the thing he needs. Cups are great things, but so are ankles, and a shot next season. A cup this year is no guarantee, and it would be hard to turn down a shot at playing for one next season.

If that were the case, I’d buy him that beer. Hell yeah.