The Nashville Predators locked up dynamic restricted free agent forward Filip Forsberg with a six-year contract extension worth $36 million, the team announced Monday.
Forsberg, 21, who will earn a flat base salary for the next six seasons, does not have opportunities for bonuses, and is without no-movement conditions built into his agreement.
"Filip is among the most skilled, dynamic talents we've ever had in the organization and is an integral part of our success for the next six years and beyond," Predators general manager David Poile stated via team release.
"While we have already seen his creativity, hockey sense and puck skills, he has yet to reach the peak of his abilities. We have full confidence that he will continue to blossom into one of the top players in the world."
A back-to-back 60-plus-point scorer in the last two seasons, his first full years in the NHL, Forsberg has not just produced team-best numbers, but at a top-25 rate NHL-wide.
Forsberg followed his breakout 2014-15 campaign with 33 goals - matching a single-season franchise record - in the final year of his entry-level deal. He also led Nashville with 64 points, matching Max Pacioretty, Kyle Okposo, and Steven Stamkos for 24th in league scoring.
He now stands to earn the most among Predators forwards over the next six seasons, and will net the team's third-highest average annual salary behind Shea Weber and Pekka Rinne.
The Predators, meanwhile, have purchased the young Swede's prime years at a reasonable price point. They now have a little more than $7 million remaining in cap space with a few outstanding depth players to retain.
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