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The Ottawa Senators just made the playoffs for the first time since the 2016-17 season. Still, they would fall short, losing in the first round to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Now, the Senators turn their focus towards the NHL offseason, including pending free agent Anton Forsberg. We look at the three best destinations for Forsberg if he does not return to Ottawa.
Anton Forsberg primarily served as the backup goaltender in Ottawa this year after the Senators brought in Linus Ullmark. He did not see any time in the playoffs, but did play in 30 games in the regular season. He went 11-12-3 with a 2.72 goals against average and a .901 save percentage in his 30 games this past year.
Forsberg will most likely not be back with the Senators. They are projected to have just $17.5 million in cap space, and have funds tied up with starting goaltender, Ullmark, plus they are paying a million of the salary for Joonas Korpisalo as part of the Ullmark trade. Leevi Merilaninen is just 22 and looks to be the future, but also needs to be re-signed as a restricted free agent. With Forsberg likely to be moving on, here are the three best destinations for him this offseason.
Forsberg looks for a chance to start
The San Jose Sharks are in need of goaltending help this offseason. Alexander Georgiev, who was brought in via a trade for MacKenzie Blackwood, is a free agent and not expected to be brought back. He played in 31 games for the Sharks, going 7-19-4 with a 3.88 goals-against average and a .875 save percentage. Georgi Romanov is a restricted free agent who also struggled in his time last year. He was 0-6 with a 3.89 goals-against average and a .877 save percentage.
Yaroslav Askarov is the future in goal for the Sharks, but he has just 14 starts in his NHL career, with 12 of them coming with the Sharks last year. Forsberg has been the primary goaltender in the past. He started 44 games for the Senators in 2021-22, having a .917 save percentage that year. Forsberg would be an upgrade over the current goaltending options, and with $53 million in cap space, the Sharks could bring him in while still upgrading the entire roster and allowing time for Askarov to grow in his young career.
The Blue Jackets upgrade their goalie situation
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The Blue Jackets could be looking to upgrade their goaltending situation this offseason. Columbus has over $42 million in cap space to upgrade the roster this year. The Blue Jackets are expected to be aggressive this offseason and could trade for a goaltender. They could also go the free agent route. Elvis Merzlikins is still under contract and was serviceable for the Blue Jackets, but not great. He went 26-21-5 with a 3.18 goals-against average and a .892 save percentage. Those have been consistent numbers for Merzlikins over his last three seasons, but would be among the worst for Forsberg in his career.
Further, Forsberg could fill in if the Blue Jackets decided to keep Merzlikins as the starter. Daniil Tarasov is a restricted free agent this offseason and may not be brought back. He struggled last year to a 7-10-2 record with a 3.52 goals-against average and a .881 save percentage. Over his career, Tarasov has a 3.44 goals-against average and a .898 save percentage, making Forsberg a major upgrade in goal for the Blue Jackets.
Forsberg joins a contender
Forsberg could also choose to go to a contender. The Hurricanes have been connected to finding a new goaltender, and Forsberg may be a solid option. Forsberg is projected to cost around $1.7 million this offseason. The Hurricanes are projected to have over $31 million in cap space, so bringing in Forsberg would still allow them to bring in other high-quality free agents.
Further, the Hurricanes could move one of their two current goaltenders. They have both Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov under contract this year. Both carry larger contracts than the $1.7 million projected for Forsberg. Replacing Andersen could be a priority for the Hurricanes this offseason. He has played just 38 games over the last two seasons and has not played over 40 games since the 2021-22 season. His injury issues have been a major issue for the Hurricanes, and with just one year left on his contract, the Hurricanes could move on early.
Still, Kochetkov has not been the most consistent goaltender. This past year, he was 27-16-3 with a 2.60 goals-against average and a .898 save percentage. He has also had to work through injury issues of his own, but has started 87 games over the last two years. Forsberg could complement Kochetokov well, making a solid combination of goalies who both could provide some consistency to the Hurricanes.
