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The fate of Danny Briere’s season of discontent could be determined today when he undergoes exploratory surgery at Philadelphia’s Hahnemann University Hospital to determine the severity of his groin strain.

Sidelined for all but nine games this season and the victim of two failed comeback attempts, Briere will learn today if the persistent pain in his groin is simply scar tissue that needs to be removed or a more severe groin tear that will require an adductor release.

"Hopefully, it’s just a scar tissue thing and if that’s the case it’ll be two weeks," Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren said before Wednesday night’s game against the Atlanta Thrashers. "If it’s something more than that, the worst case scenario we’re looking at is six weeks. We’ll keep our fingers crossed that it’s just the two weeks."

The adductors are fan-like muscles in the upper thigh that pull the legs together and help stabilize the hip joint. Flyers center Mike Richards underwent an adductor release two years ago and missed a month.

Briere underwent surgery to repair a torn abdominal muscle on Oct. 25 and twice left games with groin pain. He last played for the Flyers on Dec. 2. But after completing a three-game rehab assignment with the Phantoms in which he recorded a goal and four assists, Briere said he was close to 100 percent Monday and anticipated returning to the lineup Wednesday night.

He tried skating with the team Wednesday morning and when pain persisted he met with Holmgren and Dr. William Meyers, who will perform the surgery.

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Former New Jersey Devils coach Pat Burns is facing a third fight with cancer.

Devils president/GM Lou Lamoriello Wednesday night confirmed a report from Montreal in which the 56-year-old Burns told Montreal La Presse he has lung cancer.

Burns had colon cancer in 2004 and liver cancer in 2005.

"The cancer has returned," Burns told La Presse. "But never fear: I’m still alive. I’m not in great shape, but I wake up every morning, I play golf, I ride my motorcycle and I work, despite the illness."

Burns, who coached the Devils to the 2002-03 Stanley Cup but left the team due to health reasons after the following year, is 501-350-161-14 in 14 seasons with Montreal, Toronto, Boston and the Devils.

"With his spirits, his attitude and his demeanor, I don’t know anyone better equipped to fight this," said Lamoriello.

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Peter Forsberg’s NHL comeback got off to an inauspicious start on Tuesday.

"I had hoped that it would feel better in the foot," the 35-year-old superstar said after skating on Tuesday morning. "If it doesn’t work now I’m forced to give it up for good," Forsberg told Swedish tabloid Expressen.

The 35-year-old forward made a late-season return to the Colorado Avalanche last year, but injuries kept him out of nine of 18 regular season games and three of four games in the second round of the playoffs.

Forsberg said he’s skating in his hometown of Ornskoldsvik this month to test his right foot and ankle before making any decision about another comeback.

"Where I will play in that case is a later decision," he added.

Expressen has reported that Forsberg’s foot problem stems from a muscle imbalance that causes pain and swelling.

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It appears the Philadelphia Flyers will delay Danny Briere’s return from a groin injury — and it may have just as much to do with the salary-cap situation as it does the center’s health.

"It’s a little bit of both, to be honest," Briere said after Tuesday’s practice.

"I’m not sure about that," general manager Paul Holmgren said when relayed Briere’s assessment. "He doesn’t feel 100 percent just yet."

After practice two days ago, Briere said that he was "100 percent" healthy and that he was ready to return to the ice tonight against Atlanta.

Yesterday, Briere - who played three rehabilitation games with the AHL Phantoms without any problems - gave no indication he had a setback.

But Holmgren said the speedy center "didn’t feel that good" after practice and that it was "likely" he would sit out tonight.

Keeping Briere out of the lineup tonight - a decision will be made after today’s morning skate — would buy Holmgren more time to make the roster moves necessary to get Briere’s $6.5 million salary under the $56.7 million cap.

After Wednesday night, the Flyers are off for the all-star break and don’t play again until Tuesday in Florida.

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Defenseman Jay Bouwmeester didn’t offer much insight into his future in South Florida on Tuesday, with the potential free agent saying he wouldn’t ”make any rash decisions.” Bouwmeester’s contract is up at the end of the season, and if the Florida Panthers don’t sign him in the coming weeks, they could trade him by the March 4 deadline.

General manager Jacques Martin said he hasn’t spoken to Bouwmeester’s Edmonton, Alberta-based agent since the two met last month in Canada. Martin did say Bouwmeester is playing the best hockey of his career, and the Panthers think they can convince him to stay in South Florida for a bit longer.

Bouwmeester will be Florida’s lone representative on the Eastern Conference team at this weekend’s All-Star Game in Montreal.

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Mayor Eddie A. Perez and business leaders met last Wednesday with National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman in Manhattan to discuss nascent plans for a new arena in the city, Perez said in a press release.

Also at the meeting were Andy Bessette, chief administrative officer of the Travelers Property Casualty Corp., and R. Nelson "Oz" Griebel, head of the MetroHartford Alliance.

City and state officials have long agreed that major league hockey would need a new arena to replace the city-owned XL Center to entice it to Hartford. In the press release, Perez said that the meeting was a good chance for him to tell Bettman that Hartford still wants an NHL team. But he noted that "difficult financial times" mean that it would take "a considerable amount of work" to make an arena a reality.

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While their teammates hit the dressing room, Milan Lucic, Patrice Bergeron, Aaron Ward, and Andrew Ference lined up on the blue line. With taps on his stopwatch, Boston Bruins assistant coach Doug Houda prompted each player to kick off his sprints between the blue line and red line.

Fortunately for the Bruins, the four core players are healing. In all likelihood, however, none will be in uniform until after this weekend’s All-Star break, according to the Boston Globe.

"I’ll be skating over the break, just making sure that I don’t lose what I’ve gained," said Ference. "So hopefully, shortly after the break. It’s been baby steps lately. But how long is the break? Five days? In five days, you can accomplish a lot."

Ference (tibia), Lucic (shoulder), and Ward (charley horse) traveled with the team to Toronto yesterday. They will participate in today’s morning skate at the Air Canada Centre, but Ference will not play. Lucic said it’s still a possibility, but he has yet to endure all-out, full-contact drills since injuring his shoulder against Ottawa Jan. 8. He will not compete in Saturday’s YoungStars Game in Montreal.

"Just being safe," Lucic said. "It would have been great to be part of it once again, especially with the 100-year anniversary of the Canadiens. It [stinks] that I have to miss it, but I got to experience the game last year."

Ward is probably the closest to returning of the injured players, but the Bruins might be hesitant to send him out against the Maple Leafs, considering he’s aggravated injuries twice this season by returning too soon.

Bergeron (concussion) didn’t make the trip, remaining home to work on his conditioning.

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The league office determined that Tampa Bay Lightning forward Evgeny Artyukhin acted recklessly in a knee-on-knee hit with Florida’s Ville Peltonen on Saturday.

For his actions, Artyukhin received a two-game suspension and missed Monday’s game and will sit out Wednesday against Buffalo, a penalty that will cost him $10,215.06 in pay. He is eligible to return Jan. 27 against Montreal.

Artyukhin spoke with the league Sunday about the play.

"We had a line change and I was just trying to get out of the way," Artyukhin said. "I apologized to them. I didn’t do that on purpose. I play physical, but I don’t go out there looking to hurt anybody."

Though Florida coach Pete DeBoer called the hit dirty after Saturday’s game, Lightning coach Rick Tocchet didn’t agree with the league’s assessment.

"They have to go through their thing but you don’t have to agree with it," he said. "I just hope he doesn’t get branded by the officials. I hope he doesn’t get tagged. He has to play aggressive to be in this league."

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Detroit Red Wings forward Johan Franzen is expected to miss Tuesday’s game against the Phoenix Coyotes because of a strained right hip.

Franzen didn’t practice Monday, but he said he thinks the problem is improving. He missed most of the third period Saturday at San Jose.

"It’s not a sharp pain, so a step in the right direction," Franzen said after receiving treatment.

Tuesday’s game is not only the end of a five-game, 11-day trip, it is also the Wings’ last one before the All-Star break.

"The break comes good here," Franzen said. "I don’t think we’ll be having any problems after that. It should take care of it.""

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When Henrik Zetterberg scored in his last game, it was only his 17th goal of the season.

It’s no secret that Zetterberg, 28, hasn’t had a great first half, but if his contract has weighed on his mind, that weight might soon be lifted. He and the Detroit Red Wings are closing in on a deal designed to ensure that the likely future captain remains in Detroit for a long time.

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