The Nashville Predators have signed Filip Forsberg to a six-year extension worth a total of $36 million.
The star forward was scheduled to become a restricted free agent on July 1.
Forberg’s new long-term contract, which runs from 2016-17 through 2021-22, will carry a $6-million salary cap hit and he will earn $6 million in salary in each of his six seasons.
With his new deal, Forsberg surpasses James Neal ($5 million cap hit) as the club’s highest-paid forward and Craig Smith (2019-20) as the forward with the most term.
“Filip is among the most skilled, dynamic talents we’ve ever had in the organization and is an integral part of our success for the next six years and beyond,” Nashville general manager David Poile said.
“While we have already seen his creativity, hockey sense and puck skills, he has yet to reach the peak of his abilities. We have full confidence that he will continue to blossom into one of the top players in the world.
This is just another example of our ownership group’s commitment to the franchise, our fans and the entire community to build a team that can reach our ultimate goal of winning the Stanley Cup.”
The 21-year-old Forsberg led the Predators in goals (33) and points (64) for the second straight season during his sophomore campaign in 2015-16. His goal total tied the single-season franchise record and for 10th in the NHL, while his points put him among the NHL’s top 25.
The 6-foot-1, 205-pound winger recently received two first-place nods and finished 10th in voting for the 2016 Selke Trophy – given to the NHL’s top defensive forward – while playing all 82 of Nashville’s contests for the second consecutive year.
Forsberg, a native of Ostervala, Sweden, was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team and finished fourth in Calder Trophy voting. He captained Sweden to silver medals at the 2013 and 2014 World Junior Championships.
Forsberg’s contract is similar to the one Florida gave young centre Aleksander Barkov earlier this season (six years at $5.9 million per) and should be a comparable used for Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon and Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov — two more stud members of the 2016 RFA class.
June 27, 2016
Nashville Predators
