Moving On from Forsberg is Going to be a Tough One...
Since day one, Forsberg has made a name for himself. In his first full season in the NHL, he scored 26 goals and recorded 37 assists with a +15 rating. He upped the scoring in the next season by reaching with 30-goal plateau. For the next 11 years, Forsberg was on pace for over 60+ points and nearly 30 goals.
The left winger's stats exploded after the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite only playing 69 games in the 2021-22 season, he was on pace for 50 goals and over 100 points. The following season he posted 42 points in 50 games after encountering more injuries. He crossed 90 points in the 2023-24 campaign, along with scoring 48 goals which is a career high.
Even though he played on a draft lottery lineup last year, he still managed to put up 31 goals and notch 45 assists. So far this season, Forsberg is still recording as per usual with eight goals and seven assists in 20 grueling games. On pace for 60 points, he leads the team in goals and points.
It's clear that the problem with the Predators does not lie in the hands of Forsberg. His teammates have struggled to redeem themselves and post numbers suitable for a playoff rebound. His linemates have been up in the air in trade rumors but some have started to add Forsberg into the conversation. Analysts Jeff Marek brewed up the idea that management might look into moving Forsberg, stating, "You can't ask a player to go through a rebuild twice."
Jeff Marek believes Nashville Predators are having conversation about Filip Forsberg's trade availability: "You can't ask a player to go through a rebuild twice" https://t.co/cTTkmLpzVC
— RMNB (@rmnb) November 18, 2025
For starters, moving on from Forsberg will be a tough hill to climb. His contract almost makes it impossible to work around as per Puckpedia, he has an AAV of $8.5M and a tenure of four more years. If any team wants to take that on, the Predators will need to take on some salary retention and potentially snag an expensive contract in the process. However, this all requires the permission of Forsberg himself.
With his contract also includes a full no-movement clause, meaning he can not be moved unless he permits it. The clause gets knocked down to a modified 15-team no-trade clause in the final two years of the deal. With how settled he is in Nashville, it'll be pretty hard to change his mind on his clause. Along with the career of his wife and the future of his family, booting out Forsberg is almost an insult this early.
If Barry Trotz wants to at all consider trading away Forsberg, he'll need to consider factors outside the team. Fil is an icon in Nashville, and it'll be hard to lose that at just the snap of a finger. Let's just say hypothetically we do see a move in the future, what would it potentially look like?