Photo: WaPo
According to Bally Sports’ Andy Strickland, the Nashville Predators are “actively shopping” left-wing Filip Forsberg, the Washington Capitals’ 11th overall pick in the 2012 NHL Draft.
The 27-year-old leads the team in goals with 26 (which is tied for eighth in the NHL this season) and is tied for 20th in the league in points-per-game (1.16) with 44 in 38 games this season.
In 535 career regular-season games, Forsberg has 204 goals and 429 points. He has hit the 50-point mark five times in his eight-season NHL career but not since the 2018-19 season. Forsberg, who carries a cap hit of $6 million this season before becoming eligible for unrestricted free agency on July 17, hit the 26-goal mark for the sixth time in the Predators’ 6-4 win over the Florida Panthers on Tuesday.
The Predators’ .608 points percentage this season entered Wednesday tied for fifth in the Western Conference and they currently occupy the first wild-card. If they were to trade Forsberg, they would most likely want immediate help in return.
The Capitals are currently looking at scoring help with top-six forwards Anthony Mantha and T.J. Oshie having missed 42 and 34 games, respectively, this season and neither have a set timetable though both have started practicing with the team. Mantha has not taken contact and did not travel on the Capitals’ two-game road trip but Oshie did on Tuesday and traveled on Wednesday.
The Capitals traded Forsberg to the Predators on April 3, 2013 for forwards Martin Erat and Michael Latta. Neither player is still in the NHL.
The 2022 NHL Trade Deadline is on Monday, March 21 at 3 PM ET.
Hearing the #Preds are actively shopping superstar Filip Forsberg.
— Andy Strickland (@andystrickland) February 24, 2022
By Harrison Brown
All I can say is … wow! I would expect that move more if Nashville were out of playoff position but, last time I checked, Nashville was in wild card position and not far out of third place. Seems a bit premature to start the rebuild.
Big contract. Maybe they are finding cap space for another move. He’s a UFA I believe this summer
Baby come back!
How is that trade looking NOW!?
The trade was horrible but the Caps prob wouldnt have won the cup in 2018 if they kept him… He would be 6M$ and thus no TJ plus someone…
It is ok to trade him but they should have taken Yandle or a #2 D.
Would be nice to have but this team CANNOT afford to trade either draft capital or young players to obtain him. They would have to trade salary like Schultz and either Hagelin or Eller. Also Forsberg is a UFA after this year and is going to be out of the Caps price for a few month rental for a non Cup team.