The Ottawa Senators have signed goaltender Anton Forsberg to a three-year, $8.25-million extension, the team announced Monday.
Forsberg’s new deal brings a significant raise — he’s spent the 2021-22 season on the one-year $900,000 contract he signed with Ottawa last May and will now carry a $2.75-million cap hit through 2024-25. It also brings stability for the journeyman netminder, whose many stops in the NHL and stints on the waiver wire have prevented him from being able to unpack his bags for long. His status with the Senators had once again been unclear leading up to Monday’s trade deadline — considering the demand for netminders among contenders, Forsberg was a potential trade chip for the still-rebuilding Senators.
After spending the bulk of his time as a backup bouncing around the league since first debuting in 2015, Forsberg is in the midst of a career year and is now being rewarded for it. His 2.77 goals against average and .918 save percentage are both personal bests. His success comes at the perfect time for the Senators — with Matt Murray serving another stint on injured reserve and struggling when healthy, Forsberg has stepped up as the new No. 1.
Forsberg landed in Ottawa last March when the Senators claimed him off Winnipeg’s waivers.
Ottawa now has an interesting goalie situation, with three netminders under contract next season. Filip Gustavsson is currently on a two-way deal, but that becomes a one-way in 2022-23.