Anton Forsberg Awarded One-Way, $775,000 Contract with Hurricanes

The Carolina Hurricanes announced on Tuesday that goalie Anton Forsberg has been awarded a one-year, one-way contract for the 2019-20 season worth $775,000.

Since it’s a one-way deal, it means that Forsberg will not have a separate NHL and AHL salary. He will have one salary, and it’s $775,000 for the upcoming season. He will be waiver eligible this season, and he would have been regardless of if he got a one-way or two-way deal, as per the CBA. The Hurricanes were not allowed to walk away from the deal given the relatively low salary that was awarded to Forsberg.

The Hurricanes acquired Forsberg in a June 24 trade that sent defenseman Calvin de Haan and forward Aleksi Saarela to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for the 26-year-old goalie and defenseman Gustav Forsling.

Both Forsling and Forsberg were RFAs at the time of the trade. While Forsling eventually signed his qualifying offer (a one-year, two-way contract that will pay him $874,125 in the NHL and $70,000 in the AHL this upcoming season), Forsberg was eligible for an arbitration hearing and that’s where his one-year, one-way contract was awarded by an independent arbitrator over the weekend.

Forsberg played for the AHL’s Rockford Ice Hogs last season and logged a .919 save percentage in 32 games played. He appeared in 45 NHL games between 2014 and 2018, wherein he had a .901 save percentage. 35 of those games came in the 2017-18 season with the Blackhawks, wherein he had a .908 save percentage.

As it currently stands, Forsberg seems to be fourth on Carolina’s goalie depth chart, behind starter Petr Mrazek, NHL veteran James Reimer, and the AHL’s reigning most outstanding goalie Alex Nedeljkovic.

The official news release from the team is below:

Don Waddell, President and General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that an independent arbitrator has awarded goaltender Anton Forsberg with a one-year, $775,000 contract.

Forsberg, 26, has posted an 11-24-4 record with a 3.21 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage in 45 career NHL games with Chicago and Columbus. The Harnosand, Sweden, native appeared in a career-high 35 games with the Blackhawks during the 2017-18 season, posting a 10-16-4 record with a 2.97 goals-against average and .908 save percentage. Forsberg tallied a 15-15-2 record in 32 games with the Rockford IceHogs (AHL) last season, posting a 2.64 goals-against average and .919 save percentage. The 6’3”, 192-pound goaltender has earned an 88-50-21 record in 158 career AHL games with Rockford, Cleveland, Lake Erie and Springfield. He was selected by Columbus in the seventh round, 188th overall, in the 2011 NHL Draft.