[ad_1]
Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
After dispatching Ryan Ellis and Viktor Arvidsson in July, Nashville Predators general manager David Poile said his club was suffering a “competitive reconstruction”. It remains to be seen if Filip Forsberg is one of them.
Forsberg, 27, is set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. Since making his full-time NHL debut in 2014-15, he led the predators in total goals (177) and points (379) despite his injuries over the past four seasons.
Athletic’s Adam Vingan believes Poile will have to sell Forsberg on his short-term and long-term plans for the Predators. He will also have to decide how much the left winger is worth.
Forsberg’s current annual average value is $ 6 million. He could get over $ 8 million on the open market, but Vingan felt the Predators would be wise not to pay that, citing his injury history and inconsistent production. However, he also admitted that Forsberg was unlikely to accept less than the annual $ 8 million that his teammates Ryan Johansen and Matt Duchene receive.
The Boston Globeby Matt Porter thinks Poile should consider negotiating Forsberg this season. Having already sent Ellis and Arvidsson in exchange for draft picks and young players, he believes Forsberg could recover “exciting prospects and young NHL players who have yet to reach their peak.”
Poile might consider that option if Forsberg is unwilling to accept less than $ 8 million per season on a long-term overtime. Unless he can move Johansen or Duchene to make room for Forsberg’s new contract, the Predators general manager may have no choice but to peddle the winger by the trade deadline of March if his club are no longer in the playoff contention by then.
[ad_2]
Source link