NHL Rumors: Filip Forsberg has 8 year offer on the table from Predators
Anthony Scultore
|
We are now just 19 days from the opening of Free Agency on July 13. NHL Rumors continue to swirl on many unsigned UFA’s like Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin, Calgary’s Johnny Gaudreau, and now Nashville’s Filip Forsberg.
When the season ended for the Predators, the talk surrounding the two parties pointed to a new deal being hammered out before the opening bell of free agency.
“I’ve said that since Day One: The goal is to come back here,” Forsberg said via NHL.com. “The business side is completely different than the on-ice side. [We’ll] just kind of have to wait and see and play it out.”
The sentiments relayed by Forsberg were also echoed by GM David Poile.
“We’re going to continue to work quietly with Filip and his representative toward the contract that pays him equitably while giving the organization the flexibility to compete for the Stanley Cup,” Poile said after the trade deadline in March.
Today, it doesn’t feel like such a sure thing.
NHL Rumors: Filip Forsberg may hit the market
Forsberg, 27, will officially complete a six-year contract on July 13. He was being paid $6M AAV against the cap and his next deal is expected to be $8.5 million or better. This season he recorded 42 goals and 84 points in 69 games.
There’s been multiple reports this offseason that the two sides have met face-to-face to continue talks. Forsberg noted as much and said this will continue into the summer.
On Thursday, it was reported that the Predators have an 8-year deal on the table that Forsberg has yet to sign.
“We’re still talking, still talking a lot,” Poile said. “We just don’t have it done. We’ve got a deadline coming up here in July. So I wish it was done; I said that two months ago. It’s disappointing. I’m sure [they’re disappointed] because they feel we should be offering something different. We feel that we’re in a good spot. We’ve just got to keep working to get this done.”
NHL.com
It is believed that the Predators are looking to get Forsberg to sign for less than captain Roman Josi’s AAV of $9.059M.
“We’re taking a position where we feel we’re offering the right thing,” Poile added. “They’re taking a position where they think it should be more than that… Something’s got to give in the next couple of weeks for Filip to sign.”
Which leaves us wondering, when that deadline for the Predators to move on will be? One would assume that Poile already has a free agency plan in case Forsberg hits the open market. But once he does his time in Nashville is most likely over.
