Playing in only his second career NHL All-Star Game, Filip Forsberg found the spotlight multiple times in front of the Toronto Maple Leafs home crowd and while representing Team Auston Matthews.
Forsberg scored three goals and two assists over the two games in the 2024 Honda NHL All-Star game, and helped Team Matthews take home the crown. To no one's surprise, Matthews took home All-Star game MVP honors.
Matthews managed two goals and four points to bring home the MVP hardware. All he had to do is avoid faceplanting down the tunnel and having to miss the game for a broken nose and the MVP was his. However, Forsberg did get robbed with having more goals than Matthews.
Forsberg also should've been in the Skills Competition on Friday night, but was left out.
Leafs Fans Really Want Forsberg, But Sorry...You Can't Have Him
Let the obsession begin for Leafs fans who have often fantasized about prying Forsberg away from the Predators, and it was looking like a real possibility back in 2022 when Forsberg became an unrestricted free agent.
Why the Maple Leafs must trade for Filip Forsberg, my column:
— Down Goes Brown (@DownGoesBrown) February 3, 2024
Get Filip Forsberg to the Leafs for his play but primarily for his moustache
— Аlex Hobson (@AHobsonMedia) February 3, 2024
What would it cost? pic.twitter.com/xBSqJfsCQ1
— Big Head Hockey (@BigHeadHcky) February 3, 2024
All you have to do is read the comments on that last post by Big Head Hockey to know that there are so many "diehard" hockey fans around the league that still have no clue just how good Forsberg is. You put him on the Leafs, then the NHL wouldn't waste a second rushing to that marketing campaign.
Luckily for the collective sanity of Predators fans everywhere, Forsberg was re-signed to an 8-year, $68 million in total contract which in just a couple years could end up being one fo the top bargains in the NHL after the salary cap finally raises.
Hell would definitely have to freeze over, thaw out, then freeze over again for General Manager Barry Trotz to trade Forsberg away, and of course get the permission from Forsberg to get traded. Would he waive that clause to go to Toronto? Probably so.
Filip Forsberg with the 'NHL 14' deke to tie the game 🎮 pic.twitter.com/kBuwOi2uLB
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) February 3, 2024
Forsberg is likely a Nashville Predator for the extent of his NHL career with a No Move Clause through the 2027-28 season, then a 15-team No Trade List from the player for two more years after that.
Forsberg will be age 35 when the final year of his contract comes around, and players do play past that age so it's conceivable that Forsberg could retire in another sweater and get a Stanley Cup if it can't happen with Nashville. Of course we're getting way ahead of ourselves here.
As for the two All-Star game performances, it was awesome to see Forsberg show out on the national stage in front of hockey mecca. Forsberg has mostly been overlooked and underrated outside of Nashville circles in his NHL career.
Playing for a smaller, non-traditional hockey market and for a franchise that has only made it to a conference finals series once, it's easy for fans around the NHL to forget about Forsberg and his insane puck skills and stick handling.
If the retooling Predators are able to make a return to the playoffs behind Forsberg's leadership, and not Juuse Saros, then more fans around the NHL will start to take notice of Forsberg's greatness.
Forsberg has 51 points in 51 games this season with 24 goals, six game-winning goals while also logging a career high in ice time with 19:04 per game. This all coming after suffering a concussion that ended his season early last year in February.
Happy to see Forsberg showcase his talents in Toronto on the All-Star stage. It was a long time coming.