Predators re-sign Forsberg to $68M, 8-year contract
The Nashville Predators have re-signed Filip Forsberg to a $68 million, eight-year contract with an $8.5 million annual salary cap hit.
The team announced the deal Saturday, getting Forsberg locked up before he could hit the open market when NHL free agency opens next week. He’s now under contract through 2030.
Forsberg, who turns 28 in August, is coming off the best season of his career. The native of Ostervala,
Sweden, set career highs with 42 goals, 42 assists and 84 points in just 69 games. Forsberg had eight game-winning goals, one shy of the nine he had in the 2016-17 season.
He ranked third in scoring for the Predators, trailing captain Roman Josi and Matt Duchene, who set the franchise record for goals in a season with 43.
The Predators felt close enough to an extension with Forsberg that general manager David Poile chose to keep him rather than looking to trade him.
Poile in June said he and Forsberg’s camp continued negotiations, though the GM also had several backup plans. That included Forsberg possibly testing free agency, knowing Nashville could offer him an eighth year compared to seven by other teams if a contract got done before July 13.
The 10-year veteran has played 566 games with Nashville after being acquired April 3, 2013, in a trade that sent Martin
Erat and Michael Latta the Washington Capitals for the 11th pick overall in the 2012 draft.
Forsberg has 220 career goals and 249 assists for
to 469 points. He is coming off a season where he played his most games since 2016-17 when he played all 82 for a third consecutive season. Forsberg previously signed a six-year, $36 million extension in June 2016.
He was fourth in voting for the Calder Trophy in 2014-15 and was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team after leading Nashville with 26 goals and 63 points.
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Capitals-Devils trade: Washington traded goaltender Vitek Vanecek to New Jersey for secondand
Athird-round picks in Friday’s draft, a key deal in what is expected to be a significant offseason for changes in net. Washington also sent the 46th pick in the draft to New Jersey in the trade. Vanecek, 26, was a restricted free agent with arbitration rights. Drafted in the second round by Washington in 2014, he posted a 41-2210 overall record with the Capitals. Vanecek started 39 games last season and the first two games of the 2022 playoffs before Ilya Samsonov took over starting duties for the final four games.
Flyers-Hurricanes trade: In an effort to turn around Philadelphia’s fortunes on the blue line, Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher got to work early on the second day of the draft through the trade market. The Flyers acquired right-shot defenseman Tony DeAngelo and a 2022 seventh-round pick from Carolina in exchange for a 2024 secondround pick, a 2024 third, and a fourth in 2022. The 26-year-old Sewell, N.J., native spent the last season with the Hurricanes, posting 10 goals and 41 assists in 64 games.
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