Panthers: Gustav Forsling gets 100% real on Florida future amid standout season

Florida Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling is happy just where he is. Forsling wants to stay in Florida for the long-term future, per the Miami Herald.

“That’s absolutely my hope,” Forsling, said. “I think we’re going to figure something out. I would love to stay. That’s what I’ve been telling them all year long. I want to stay and my family loves it here.”

Forsling is having one heck of a year. Off the ice, the defenseman just became a father to a baby boy. On the ice, he’s putting up some impressive numbers for the Panthers. His plus/minus is 31, good for third in the entire NHL. He also has seven goals on the season, to go with 15 assists.

“I think I’ve come a long way just being an NHL defenseman every night,” Forsling added. “I really have worked on coming ready to play every night and having a very high level of hockey every night.”

The Panthers have valued having Forsling on the ice, and those stats certainly show it. The team is 32-15-4 on the season, with 68 total points. The Panthers are second in the Eastern Conference’s Atlantic Division, behind only the Boston Bruins. The Bruins and New York Rangers are the only two teams in the Eastern Conference with more points at the time of writing than the Panthers. Florida has won five of their last six games.

Forsling and the Panthers look for another victory on Saturday, with a showdown against the high-powered Colorado Avalanche. The Avalanche led the entire NHL in goals scored before the All-Star break. The teams face off at 6:00 Saturday.