via Colby Guy of Florida Hockey Now,
Florida Panthers general manager Bill Zito told reporters that the team agreed to an eight-year contract extension with star defenseman Gus Forsling.
Per Elliotte Friedman, the contract will carry an annual cap hit of $5.75 million.
The new contract will kick in during the 2024-25 season.
Forsling, 27, developed into a bonafide top-pairing defenseman since getting claimed off waivers by Florida in 2021.
He has 37 goals and 126 total points with a plus/minus of +120 in 258 games as a Panther.
Forsling made the full-time jump to Florida’s top pair at the start of the 2022-23 season when the team traded MacKenzie Weegar while shouldering No. 1 defenseman minutes while Aaron Ekblad spent time on injured reserve.
SUNRISE, Fla. Florida Panthers General Manager Bill Zito announced today that the club has agreed to terms with forward Jonah Gadjovich on a two-year contract extension through the 2025-26 season.
Jonahs competitiveness and physicality have meshed seamlessly with our style of play here in South Florida, said Zito. We are pleased to have him continue his career with the Panthers.
Gadjovich, 25, has skated in 33 games with Florida this season, producing four points (2-2-4). He leads all Panthers skaters in penalty minutes with 90 while registering 71 hits.
The 6-foot-2, 209-pound native of Whitby, Ontario has skated in 112 career NHL contests between Vancouver (2020-21), San Jose (2021-22 to 2022-23) and Florida, producing 14 points (6-8-12). He has also appeared in 103 American Hockey League (AHL) games with the Utica Comets (2018-19 to 2020-21) and Charlotte Checkers (2023-24), recording 46 points (33-13-46) and 81 penalty minutes.
Prior to his professional career, Gadjovich skated in four seasons (2014-15 to 2017-18) with the Owen Sound Attack of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), recording 155 points (89-66-155) in 228 regular season games. In 2016-17, he led all Owen Sound skaters with 46 goals (46-28-74) in 60 games, ranking third among OHL skaters, en route to being named to the OHL Second All-Star Team.
Gadjovich was originally selected by the Vancouver Canucks in the second round (55th overall) in the 2017 NHL Draft.
I also envy when our opponents can find a star dman with 126th pick of the draft. It was Vancouver in 2014, but still.
Unfortunately Benning didnt have the patience to let him develop for Van or the ability to evaluate what he had.
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