Panthers lock up another member of their core as Gustav Forsling signs eight-year extension
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One day after making a splash by acquiring four-time All-Star forward Vladimir Tarasenko, the Florida Panthers took the next step by locking up defenseman Gustav Forsling to an eight-year contract extension.
General manager Bill Zito announced the news after morning skate Thursday. Forsling’s deal, with a reported average annual value of $.5.75 million, keeps him with Florida through the 2031-32 season.
“What we’re trying to do is just create a place that people want to come to,” Zito said. “People understand that it’s special and we’re going to do our best to put a winning team on the ice every night.”
Forsling, who was slated to become an unrestricted free agent after the season, has said it was “absolutely my hope” to stay with the Panthers after this season.
During his time with the Panthers, which came after Florida picked him up as a waiver claim a week before the start of the 2020-21 season,” Forsling gone from a third-pair player who sometimes saw his partner change nightly to arguably one of the best defensemen in the NHL even if he still flies under the radar nationally.
Entering Thursday’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers, Forsling has 31 points (nine goals, 22 assists) and leads the NHL with a plus-minus rating of plus-44, meaning the Panthers have outscored opponents by 44 goals when Forsling is on the ice at even strength or they score shorthanded.
During the past three seasons, since Forsling became a regular on Florida’s top defense pairing, his plus-minus rating of plus-104 is second in the NHL behind only Devon Toews (plus-111).
“I think I’ve come a long way just being an NHL defenseman every night,” Forsling said last month. “I really have worked on coming ready to play every night and having a very high level of hockey every night. That was the biggest key, especially as the young guy that I was when I came here.”
Jonah Gadjovich also extended
In addition to Forsling, Zito announced that forward Jonah Gadjovich also signed a two-year extension that keeps him with the Panthers through the 2025-26 season.
Gadjovich’s deal, per reports, has an average annual value of $775,000.
