Florida Panthers Extend Defenseman for Three More Seasons

The Florida Panthers have been busy on Wednesday as they told Keith Yandle to go away and now are telling Gustav Forsling to stay. The defenseman has signed a contract extension with the Panthers for three more seasons.

Forsling extension: three years x $2.66 M AAV https://t.co/ZkSR46KE6L
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) July 15, 2021

The 25-year-old Swedish rear guard stepped up last season with the Panthers losing Aaron Ekblad and showed he's capable of more responsibility. In 43 games he recorded 17 points and also added a goal and an assist in the playoffs.

The Panthers bought out Yandle on Wednesday as well, as the team is trying to create some more cap space to add to their roster. Forsling is expected to be one of the defenseman the Panthers protect in the expansion draft and after the Seattle Kraken poach, it will create more cap space in one way or another.

Forsling was was claimed by the Panthers off waivers from the Carolina Hurricanes in January and originally was a fifth-round pick of the Vancouver Canucks in 2014. He sits with 13 goals and 44 points in 165 career games with the Chicago Blackhawks and Panthers.