After what seemed like a tough negotiation, the Nashville Predators have finally locked in their face of the franchise.
On Saturday, the Predators and star-winger Filip Forsberg agreed to an eight-year deal worth an average annual value of $8.5 million. This deal will tie Forsberg with the Predators until the 2029-30 season.
Exact details of the contract including structure and no-trade protection are unknown at this point. But both sides can now breathe a sigh of relief that a deal was reached.
Related: 2022 THW Draft Tracker
After months of wondering if Forsberg was going to hit the free agent market, the Predators and GM David Poile can now turn their attention to the rest of their offseason where they have some important decisions to make. These include decisions on pending restricted free agents in John Leonard, Matt Luff and Yakov Trenin. According to CapFriendly, the deal leaves the Predators with about $9.6 million in cap space.
As this story continued to drag out, rumors continued to build about the possibility of Forsberg finding himself in a different uniform. Both sides wanted this to work. After reportedly being less than $1 million apart, the sides hammered out the final details and got it done.
Forsberg Deal a Huge Win
Forsberg gives the Predators an elite threat every time he’s on the ice. He’s coming off a career season of 42 goals and 84 points while helping the Predators reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
In the end, locking Forsberg in at $8.5 million over the next eight years is a big win for both sides. This ensures that the Predators will be a legitimate threat in the Western Conference to be an annual visitor to the playoffs.