In 2020, Swedish goaltender Anton Forsberg was claimed off waivers by the Ottawa Senators. Forsberg signed a one-year contract with the Senators.
Then in May 2021, Forsberg signed a one-year extension. It was in the 2021-22 season in which Forsberg broke out in Ottawa with winning 22 games and finishing with a 2.82 goals against average and .917 save percentage. During the season, Forsberg signed a three-year extension.
After the extension, the Senators saw some inconsistency issues with Forsberg. On July 1, 2025, Forsberg signed a two-year contract with the Los Angeles Kings to put an end to his Senators tenure. As Forsberg is off to Los Angeles, it's time to reflect on what Forsberg's legacy is with the Senators.
Forsberg had steady, but not the greatest tenure in Ottawa
Forsberg ended up playing in 142 games with 132 of them being starts as a Senator. Overall, Forsberg recorded a 62-56-10 record with a 2.99 goals against average and .905 save percentage. Forsberg also added eight shutouts in his Senators career.
All-time in Senators history among goaltenders, Forsberg is sixth in wins, tied for sixth in shutouts with Ray Emery, fourth in saves, seventh in save percentage and ninth in goals against average.
For a player who played five seasons in Ottawa, Forsberg's stats are some of the best in Senators history by a goaltender. However, there's one thing that can hurt Forsberg.
Forsberg never turned into the number one goaltender the Senators had hoped for. In the 2022-23 season, Forsberg was going to be heavily relied on after his solid 2021-22 season.
In 2022-23, Forsberg went 11-11-2 with a 3.26 goals against average. Forsberg played in 28 games with 25 of them being starts. The 2022-23 season would be a dissapointment for Forsberg.
Then in the 2023-24 season, Forsberg was better with a 15-12-0 record with a 3.21 goals agaisnt average in 30 games played with 28 of them being starts.
The 2024-25 season would be a tough one mentally for Forsberg with the Senators metally after the team traded for Linus Ullmark. Forsberg had pressure with being due for a new contract and being Ullmark's backup.
Forsberg finished 2024-25 with an 11-12-3 record with a 2.72 goals against average and .901 save percentage in 30 games played with 27 of them being starts. Forsberg's numbers were steady for a backup goaltender, but he had inconsistency issues.
In 18 of his 27 starts, three goals were allowed in by Forsberg. In seven starts, Forsberg allowed in four goals or more.
Leevi Merilainen's 12-game surge during the Winter added more decision making for the Senators to bring back Forsberg or not. Merilainen re-signed to a one-year contract before Forsberg signed with the Kings. Re-signing Merilainen may have had the writing on the wall that the Senators weren't interested in re-signing Forsberg. At 22 years old and a rising prospect, the Senators can see Merilainen's potential is higher than Forsberg's.
Now, Forsberg will look to re-establish himself as a reliable goaltender in Los Angeles. The Kings have a steady team in front of them to help the 32-year-old goaltender.