It was a question the Swede was probably asking himself all summer. It’s a question that plagues him today and will continue to plague him until he makes some sort of decision. Peter Forsberg has had quite the storied (and decorated) career, being involved in what many have called the most one-sided trades in NHL history. Forsberg was perhaps the most notable name among the seven players and two first-round draft picks that went to the Quebec Nordiques in exchange for the now-retired Eric Lindros. Let’s not forget about the two Stanley Cups that he won, along with the Calder Memorial Trophy in 1995, the Hart Memorial Trophy in 2003, and the Art Ross Trophy in 2003. He’s an impact player; there’s no denying that.

After 11 years in the NHL, Peter Forsberg is very close to announcing his retirement from pro hockey. He was traded from the Philadelphia Flyers to the Nashville Predators late last season, punching in 15 assists in 17 regular season games, as well as 4 points in the 5-game playoff series against the San Jose Sharks. Throughout his career, he’s been known to average more than a point a game and with stats like that, it’s not surprising that as many as 12 NHL teams have expressed interest in a big free agent signing. The Vancouver Canucks are one of these teams and they’re a squad that desperately needs another offensive threat.

Unfortunately, Forsberg has recently been suffering “severe discomfort” in his right ankle and has pulled out of the Karjala Cup in Finland (which is going on as I type this). This most recent injury has caused several NHL teams to second-guess their efforts in signing the wily veteran and even Forsberg himself is quoted as saying:

I will have to go back to the doctors to see if there’s something I can do. I’m not going to play if it’s not working. I might as well retire. I’ve never been so close to the end of my career. I don’t want any major procedures. If it’s a small thing they can fix, I’ll be OK. If not, I think I’ll let it be. It’s looking pretty dark.

Should Peter Forsberg retire? I think this outcome of this ankle injury will provide the answer. At the age of 34, Forsberg’s probably still got a couple more years of NHL action in him, but he has to stay healthy and he has to stay injury-free. Somehow, I don’t see Peter falling into a support role like Trevor Linden has in Vancouver though, so if he can’t be a franchise player — or close to it — he “might as well retire.” No point in kicking the tires on a muscle car with a mangled transmission and bent frame.

Time to hang up those skates, Foppa.