Anton Forsberg signs multi-year contract extension.

One of the goaltenders rumored to be available ahead of the trade deadline has been taken off the board, and it wasn't due to a trade.

According to a report from National Hockey League insider Elliotte Friedman, the Ottawa Senators have retained the services of veteran backup goaltender Anton Forsberg for the foreseeable future, signing him to a brand new 3 year contract. That deal will carry an average annual value and salary cap hit of $2.75 million per season, a pretty good deal considering how solid he has been for the Senators this season.

Forsberg has really had to step into his role as a goaltender for the Senators this season thanks in large part to the struggles of veteran goaltender Matt Murray when it comes to staying healthy. Forsberg has gone on to appear in 31 games for the Senators, a significant workload for a backup goaltender, and has performed admirably when called upon. Over those 31 games he has a 2.77 goals against average and a .918 save percentage, very respectable numbers from a goalie backstopping a non-playoff team in front of him.

Forsberg has been doing so on a very team friendly contract earning just $900,000 this season on a one year deal he signed with the Senators in May of 2021, a deal that also made many believe he could become a potential rental ahead of the trade deadline.

It would appear however, likely due in large part to Murray's issues this season, that Forsberg became too valuable to risk losing from the perspective of the Senators. This new deal will represent a significant upgrade in salary for the veteran backup over the next 3 seasons of his career, but it will also mean that the Senators now have a significant amount of money invested in their goaltending moving forward. Matt Murray still has 2 more years on his contract beyond this current season at a cap hit of $6.25 million per season, putting the Senators at just under a $10 million investment for their goaltending over those 2 seasons.