Florida Panthers sign Gus Forsling to an Eight-Year Contract Extension

FORT LAUDERDALE — Florida Panthers general manager Bill Zito told reporters that the team agreed to an eight-year contract extension with star defenseman Gus Forsling.

Per Elliotte Friedman, the contract will carry an annual cap hit of $5.75 million.

The new contract will kick in during the 2024-25 season.

Per PuckPedia, the contract will carry a full no-movement clause in the first six years before shifting to a 16-team no-trade clause for the final two.

Forsling, 27, developed into a bonafide top-pairing defenseman since getting claimed off waivers by Florida in 2021.

He has 37 goals and 126 total points with a plus/minus of +120 in 258 games as a Panther.

Forsling made the full-time jump to Florida’s top pair at the start of the 2022-23 season when the team traded MacKenzie Weegar while shouldering No. 1 defenseman minutes while Aaron Ekblad spent time on injured reserve.

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In those two seasons, Forsling has 22 goals and 72 points in 144 games with a plus/minus of +62.

This season, Forsling has nine goals and 31 points in 62 games.

Forsling did not let the expiry of his contract distract him this season.

“We haven’t really talked about it lately,” Forsling said of extension talks back in February. “I’ve been kind of been focusing on the hockey part, that’s what my agent has been telling me all year long is just play good and everything will sort itself out.”

Zito also said the team agreed to a two-year contract extension with Jonah Gadjovich on Thursday morning.

The contract will carry an annual cap hit of $775,000.

Gadjovich joined the team on an AHL contract while rehabbing an injury during training camp.

He earned himself an NHL deal and promptly carved out a role on the team’s fourth line in his first year on the team.

He has two goals and four points in 33 games this season.

Gadjovich, 25, has six goals and 14 points in 112 NHL games spending the previous three seasons of his career with the San Jose Sharks.

“For a physical role player, he is exceptionally clean,” coach Paul Maurice said of Gadjovich. “Both hands on the ice, he hits hard, but he gets low, he’s a very, very clean player, and he’s willing. And that makes everybody else relax.

“We play an aggressive, physical style, and sometimes our games get heated. A lot of times, it’s not us, right? But we’re going to come out, we’re going to finish our checks, and they know it going out, so they get wired up for that kind of game, and it gets hot. And it’s good to have Gadjovich there because he can handle it.”

This is a developing story which will be updated when new information becomes available.

ON DECK

PHILADELPHIA FLYERS @ FLORIDA PANTHERS

• When: Thursday, 7 p.m.
• Where: Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise
• TV/Streaming: Bally Sports Florida, ESPN+
• Radio: WPOW 96.5-FM2; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
• Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL app
• Season Series — At Florida: Flyers 2, Panthers 1 (Feb 6); Thursday. At Philadelphia: March 24.  
• Last Season: Philadelphia won 2-1
• All-time Regular Season Series: Philadelphia leads 57-37-6, 7 ties
• Up Next for the Panthers: Saturday vs. Calgary, 4 p.m.