Chris Nichols

­Chris Nichols is Sportsnet.ca's fantasy hockey writer.

@Nichols_NHLPool on Twitter for timely NHL & poolie info, along with occasionally snarky comments.

Live blogging nightly: line combos, defensive pairings, analysis, statistical trends and more from every game on the NHL docket. Refresh the 'Live NHL Recap' page while the games are on to get new info as it is added.

Send in a brief fantasy hockey question, including all relevant league info, and it may be included in a future Hockey Hearsay blog during the week. One per person, please. Send it via Twitter for a possible response in the blog, or send via email (include your first name and hometown to represent!) if you'd prefer. chris.nichols@sportsnet.rogers.com

You've no doubt heard the news by now that Swedish great Peter Forsberg has cut this comeback attempt short and will be announcing his retirement this afternoon.

I'll have more on that tomorrow with quotes and the like, but it's a tough break for Avs fans hoping to see him in a home game and it's unfortunate for poolies who took a gamble on the ultimate high-risk fantasy asset given his injury history.

That said, it was truly exciting while it lasted. Expecting miracles after that lengthy of a layoff from the NHL wasn't realistic, but even though he may not have felt he played at a supreme Forsberg-esque level in his two starts (tough for anyone to step in late in the season like this) he still had enough game left to chip in offensively. Had he stuck around, he would have produced for fantasy owners.

Like I wrote in the two live recaps, we could still easily be talking about a guy who had three points in those two games. People who make a crack about the -4 may not realize two of them came via empty net goals.

Had the Avs been on a winning tear instead of mired in this period of miserable play, it might have been more acceptable for Forsberg to ease himself back into the NHL life and get himself ready for the playoffs. Or maybe not. Maybe at the press conference we'll hear that his foot just wasn't able to handle it. Regardless, the Avs playing as poorly as they were didn't help things. Forsberg certainly knew what he was getting himself into though.

Full credit to the man for giving it another shot. His competitive spirit in an era when too many people in society - not just athletics - think something should just be handed to them should be lauded, not ridiculed.

You will be missed, sir.

The Hall of Fame awaits.

The Raleigh News & Observer reports that the Carolina Hurricanes will retire Rod Brind'Amour's No. 17 sweater Friday. Brind'Amour, captain of the Canes' 2006 Stanley Cup champion team, played for the St. Louis Blues and the Philadelphia Flyers before joining the Canes in 1999-2000.

He retired after the 2009-10 season, having played in 1,484 NHL games, scoring 452 goals and racking up 732 assists.

After the number is raised to the RBC Center rafters, the Canes will play the Flyers. The ceremony is at 7 p.m., and the puck drops at 8.

Fire & Ice reported Sunday afternoon that Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur confirmed what was suspected from the start. What Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello called a “non-operable” sprain of his right knee is a sprained medial collateral ligament.

“That’s what I sprained,” Brodeur said today after working out at Prudential Center. “If I wasn’t a goalie, I think it would be different to get back and do different things, but the positions that I have to put myself in (as a goalie) right now it doesn’t feel quite good enough to try it. I don’t want get back and hurt it again. So, we’ve just been working hard and rehabbing with (medical trainer Richard Stinziano) and Tommy (Plasko, massage therapist). It’s just time.”

Brodeur has already missed three games since he was injured a week ago in Montreal when his right leg got caught under him while making a save on Tomas Plekanec. He missed six games in 2005-06 when he sprained the same MCL in the same knee.

Brodeur said there is still no specific timetable for his return.

“I really don’t know,” he said. “It could be maybe three or four days or it could be another week. I don’t know, but I don’t think it’s something that could be a lot longer. But I can’t pinpoint what I’m going to be able to do and what they’re going to want me to do when I come back, too.”

The article notes that because he’s not ready to go back on the ice yet, he doesn’t anticipate being able to play in any of the team’s three games this week either.

“I doubt it,” Brodeur said. “Unless I’m able to get back quicker on the ice, maybe the weekend games could be an option, but right now I’m not even looking at that.”

Brodeur said his knee is feeling better after rehab, though.

“I stopped limping maybe two days after I got hurt,” he said. “But it’s just some of the things that position-wise for the goalie position as far as butterfly and stuff like that, it’s just a little too tender and pulling too much. But I’m going forward every day.”

Brodeur said his rehab involves, “just keeping the strength in the leg, so the muscle can heal.”

“I don’t think it’s going to be something that’s going to be super long,” he said. “I think it’s a little bit like what I went through with my arm (his bruised right elbow). One day it will just feel fine. I believe that’s what’s going to happen, but it’s not there yet."

The Boston Globe notes that Tyler Seguin, a healthy scratch for two games , was back in uniform at Joe Louis Arena for the rematch with the Detroit Red Wings. Seguin centred Blake Wheeler and Michael Ryder on the third line. Zach Hamill, who had occupied that spot for the two previous games, was a healthy scratch.

Seguin made an immediate impact. On his first shift, he connected from the low slot at 1:29 for the game’s opening goal. Seguin and Wheeler had worked the puck efficiently around the cage to open up space for the scoring chance.

“After the All-Star break, I wasn’t happy with the way I was playing,’’ Seguin said. “I just didn’t feel like I was involved in the play as much or enough. The coaching staff told me that as well. I wanted that first game to start doing that. I did a better job, I thought.’’

The Globe points out that Seguin’s performance had its shortcomings. He lost 12 of 13 faceoffs. In the second period, Seguin was on the ice for Kris Draper’s winning goal. He recognized too late that Draper had gained position at the offensive blue line. By the time Draper took a pass from Patrick Eaves, Seguin was too far behind to halt the 39-year-old before he roofed a shot over Tim Thomas.

However, the coaching staff will live with such errors as long as Seguin battles at a high level like he did yesterday.

“I thought he skated better,’’ said coach Claude Julien. “He made some plays and scored early on in the game. I thought he responded well. Some of the little mistakes he made are first-year player mistakes. Those are things we can work with when we see the compete level. I thought his compete level was good.’’

For most of the season, Seguin had developed as expected. But his growth had stalled. He wasn’t competing for pucks in races and battles. He didn’t have the offensive explosiveness he showed at times. He wasn’t playing reliable defense at center or wing.

So for two games, Seguin watched from the TD Garden press box.

“You can really see, when you’re sitting up there, a different side of the game,’’ Seguin said. “When you’re out there playing, you feel like you have no time and space. When you look from up top, you realize you have an extra half-second to make that smarter play than throwing it away. I still felt like I had glimpses of me throwing it away way too fast [yesterday]. But I felt like I improved on that.’

According to The Chicago Tribune, a healthier Patrick Kane has made for a more productive Patrick Kane.

The Blackhawks winger has regained the spring in his step as his left ankle has healed and the points are following.

Kane had his consecutive three-point efforts snapped at two in Saturday night's game against the Coyotes at Jobing.com Arena, but he has five this season. Only three players currently younger than 23 have more than 10 career three-point outings, starting with Kane's 22, the Lightning's Steven Stamkos' 19 and the Hawks' Jonathan Toews' 16.

"After you come off an injury your timing and certain things around the puck are a little off," Kane, 22, said. "I'm just trying to play with some more speed, get the puck and create anything I can. I had been kind of tweaking my injury just moving or trying to battle with the puck. Now you don't feel as much pain."

Since missing eight games with the injury suffered Dec. 5 against the Flames, Kane had seven goals and 12 assists before he was blanked Saturday.

"He looks like he has more pace," coach Joel Quenneville said. "He can do a little bit more with (the puck) and he has more speed to hit holes. Now you're starting to see him make plays and get out of tight areas."

“The last two games, with all due respect to the teams we’re playing, there’s no reason we shouldn’t come out of those two games with four points," Dan Boyle told The San Jose Mercury News following Sunday's loss to the Florida Panthers. "Both nights. It’s not like they’re taking it to us. We left them both hanging around late in the third and didn’t get that next goal we needed to get.”

The St. Petersburg Times writes that Johan Harju has proudly watched one of his best friends, fellow Swede Linus Omark, get regular ice time with the Oilers.

"He should be in this league. He deserves it," Harju said.

Now, it appears Harju, 24, after spending most of the season with AHL Norfolk, will get his shot with the Lightning. The rookie, called up Friday for the fourth time this season, is expected to play centre or wing on the fourth line and get opportunities on the power play with Ryan Malone out six to eight weeks.

After spending his whole career in Europe, Harju admitted it has been an adjustment playing the North American style, on smaller rinks with less space, but feels more comfortable and confident this time around. And if Saturday's game against the Hurricanes is any indication, Harju has made significant improvements.

"Harju played very well — very, very well," Lightning coach Guy Boucher said of the 6-foot-3, 210-pounder who had two shots in 7:51 of ice time (3:53 on the power play). "I was impressed. He's got a lot of speed, got a great shot, and I thought he battled hard physically.

"And that's the one thing I thought he didn't have before. He had the speed, had the shot. He was smart. But he had to learn the North American fighting game, and his fighting level was a lot better than it was."

The Times observes that Harju, a sixth-round pick in 2007 , is known for his offensive abilities, including what Boucher calls a "tremendous shot."

"His shot is lethal," Boucher said. "He can score goals."

But while at Norfolk, Harju also focused on improving defensively, both in positioning and awareness, knowing that's what it takes to play in the NHL.

"I don't expect more of him offensively. I expect more defensively," Boucher said. "That's something that he should have learned down there (in Norfolk). And I'm sure he did. So he's probably more reliable, and I won't be scared to put him on. Usually, that's the biggest issue. When guys come up, they're in shape enough. They've got enough skill. Usually, they're strong enough. It's just defensively they're all over the place.

"They don't realize that in the NHL, it's not a developmental league. It's a performance league. And when those guys come up, if they don't have at least a decent amount of defensive skills or awareness, you can't put them on."

The Washington Post writes that at the conclusion of practice Sunday afternoon, Washington Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau rounded up his team for one more pep talk, his words echoing off the glass at Jobing.com Arena.

"It's time to ramp it up," Boudreau said.

Today the Capitals kick off a five-game trip against teams that are all alive in the race to the postseason when they meet the Phoenix Coyotes, winners of their past four outings. And with only 26 games remaining in the regular season, the players know it's time to produce results to go along with all the goals they've talked about since exiting last year's Stanley Cup playoffs in the first round.

Since Dec. 1, Washington has not won more than three games in a row, and a streak of that length occurred only once. The frustration with passive performances, like in losses last week to San Jose and Los Angeles, prompted a players-only meeting before the team flew to Arizona, to make sure each player was aware of his role and on the same page in pursuit of larger goals.

"We have to come together right now," defenceman Mike Green said. "We have our system in place, we know what to do, but everybody has to be accountable for everything that goes on here. We have no reason to panic yet, but we aren't comfortable. . . . We're running out of time. There isn't any more time left to waste, for us to figure this out."

The Post says that chief among the things the Capitals must do to accomplish winning four of these five coming games while netting at least a point from the other - which would be a big stepping stone for the team - or something near it, is establishing consistency, Boudreau said. Asked to elaborate, he stressed finding an even keel offensively to go along with the defence and goaltending that has allowed an average of only two goals against per game in the past 20 contests.

"I think it's more individual than it is collectively as a team," Boudreau said. "It's consistency in scoring, I think. The power play, which has been pretty bad, quite frankly, still has moments of doing good and moments of doing really bad. I think the consistency is for scoring goals. We can get five against [Tampa Bay] and come back and get three [against Pittsburgh] then get zero and one. That's the frustrating part."

Brooks Laich added this: "We're not the Capitals of last year, but the Capitals of last year lost out in the first round, too. For us the goal is bigger. We're working out things, we've adjusted things that we think are going to help us in the playoffs and now it's time to really iron that out so our game is seamless and flawless."