Report: Blackhawks Sign Gustav Forsling
A report out of Sweden indicates that the Blackhawks have signed defenseman Gustav Forsling to an entry-level contract.
Originally a fifth round pick (126th overall) by the Canucks in 2014, he was acquired by the Blackhawks in the trade that sent defenseman Adam Clendening to Vancouver. He had an enormous 2015 World Junior Championship tournament, posting three goals and five assists in seven games from the blue line for Sweden.
Forsling, 19, has spent the last two seasons with Linkopings HC of the Swedish Hockey League, where he posted six goals and 15 assists in 48 games during the 2015-16 season. He was a teammate of Blackhawks prospect Carl Dahlstrom with Linkopings the last two years; Dahlstrom recently signed with the Hawks as well.
Niiiice! I’m from Sweden and I have followed him quite a bit. He is very talanted, future starter!
Do you know Eric Ericsson?
Tab needs to update his list of defenseman. Forsling has grown a bit since he was drafted. Have I ever mentioned how much I liked the Canucks? Thanks!
Their is a loan clause in his deal that will allow him to return to Sweden if he doesnt make the Hawks. I’d be surprised if he made the Hawks out of camp.
Will be very interesting to see how much run he gets during training camp and if the Hawks give him a full shot to make the NHL roster. Will also be interesting to see how they play Dahlstrom, Forsling’s teammate who is physically a much bigger player, during camp as well.
The improving news here is that the Blackhawks have talent coming and organizational depth on the blue line. How it translates onto the NHL roster is to be seen… especially if they plan on Pokka being an NHL player with Gustafsson and TvR having spent most of the last year w/ the NHL club.
Would love to see all three guys mentioned get a shot next year, especially Forsling and Pokka. When we first got Forsling from Vancouver, I remember some commenting with surprise that the Canucks would give him up. We could sure use a real impact rookie in our D core.
I also think you can’t dismiss Dahlstrom. He brings size to a backend that needs it. Forsling was a 5th round pick. He was born in June so he was a younger pick. His value shot up at the juniors after he was drafted. Had he been born 3 months later and been a ’15 pick you wonder how much his value would have increased.
This deal has apparently been in place for a while but is just breaking out now.
Another small player. I don’t know anything about him, but enough with the 180 lb’ers. We are already a smallish team. We can’t find anyone with size and skill? Everyone else seems to be finding those players. Is that why we’re able to sign these guys because other teams are passing on them due to their size. I don’t know, I am just raising the question and acquiescing to some of the more knowledgeable posters on the board.
It is kind of nice watching Stephen Johns throwing his weight around for Dallas. I understand that really isn’t our style, but it is nice to see. Beyond Seabs, we don’t have any physical dmen. Hjalmorrson used to come up with really big hits on occasion, but those appear to have dried up after he hit the Sabre player 2-3 years ago.
Dahlstrom has some nice size, but I understand that his skating is on the slower side. Irregardless, he has to be better than Sveddy.
I hope we have seen the last of Rundblad, Rosey, Cumiskey (Did I miss any). I look forward to a new infusion of 5-7 dmen even if they are sub-200lbs. Put ’em out their and let them make mistakes while learning.
Sorry Booman. I can not stop myself.
https://youtu.be/StJ-OK4jiSY
I don’t recall the Hawks ever having size on the backend since 2010. Hjalmarsson and Seabrook have always been there. Campbell and Leddy? Nah. The heavy forwards are what I think is missing. But even then, other than a few guys they’ve never been big. But look at their recent draft picks. Knott and Dennis Gilbert both 6’3. Bondra 6’5.Radke 6’2. Tuulola 6’3. That was last year’s draft.
2014 Iacopelli 6’2, Starrett 6’5, Olofsson 6’2,Soderberg 6’4.
2013 Dahlstrom 6’4,Hayden 6’3, Press 6’2.
So the Hawks have been trying to get bigger. Nobody has panned out yet. I think a lot of hope was put into Fournier. He was twice the top pick in the QMJHL draft. But he just can’t stay on the ice. 3 injuries in three years. He was drafted while rehabbing a pretty bad shoulder injury.
Small, medium, large and extra large. Keep em coming, we just want good players.
Booman: A Shea Webber type d -man would be nice or a big nasty western Canadian boy.No more ice capade d-man.
Hey a trade that Stan actually won! Hooray!!!
SSHM…. as Daley scores and is +3 with 28 min. of ice time…
wouldn’t it be special if Pens won the Cup!!!
Is it just me or is Daley looking pretty dang good in Pittsburgh? Amazing how a players game can turn around with confidence. He couldn’t play for Chicago as a number 4 but can lead the Penguins D in ice time against the top team in the regular season. Go figure.
Ernie…LOL.
I u/s your point.
Even though this thread is about a young dman, I was thinking about Kane, Panarin, Teuvo, Kruger and Shaw when writing that post. All players 175-180 lbs. Yes Shaw plays bigger, but still small. I believe this team was much smaller (avg weight) than any of our cup winners.
We were resorting to a dump and chase style because we were unable to penetrate the O-zone successfully at even strength and with the man advantage. That’s a style is more suitable to bangers than for a smallish team. I actually believe that hurt our chance for success.
I am not saying they need to play more physical, but it would seem having size allows you more flexibility in the styles you can play. Plus, with some more size, other teams would be less likely to take some of the liberties they do with this team. A lot has been said about Q playing Mashinter. If they had more size (with some toughness), I am quite certain Mash wouldn’t have seen any NHL ice time this season.
Go Stanbo & crew!!!
Boo… and it seems NHL is going bigger with D guys (like goalies)… to stop the cycle and eliminate traffic in front of net…
The hawks will need to get bigger or faster to combat that… of course bigger and faster would be the best… but usually dont go together except for the best of players.
I’ll agree there Booman. We’ve seen Brouwer Ladd Byfuglien and more recently Saad get moved. We’ve also seen Bickell regress.
I could counter that by saying those guys talent in general not just specifically size alone was never replaced. When you have to turn over your roster so often it’s difficult to keep replacing guys. Hell, it’s tough to find them in the first place.
I know signing Ladd is a pipedream, but him on that first line provided us some obvious toughness. It actually was nice watching that.
Speaking of that young 2010 team sends tingles down the spine. They were skilled, young, fast, physical, and intimidating. A great memory.
Hoping Stan can pull some rabbits out of his hat this summer.
Let the FORS-ling be with us!!!
Wall – No, it wouldn’t be special!!! :)
Small or not I can’t wait to see this guy play. He could be a top pairing guy someday.
Forsling has a chance to be an NHL d-man. May not be ready yet, but he has good offensive skills and a pretty big shot. Keeping fingers crossed.
No, I do not know ROBINJOH.
Lets hope for a better finish in 2017….One Goal.
Go Hawks!
Stan does not wear a hat. What he needs to do is pull a rabbit out his spot where the sun don’t shine.As for the Hawk’s style of play, if the other team wants to skate, lets skate. If it’s bump and skate , let’ make it so. If the other team wants to take your Lunch Money, it ain’t happening . That’s not asking to much. Is it?
No Kane, No Toews, No Keith, No Seabrook, No Crawford…No Hossa, No Hammer, ….No Goals, No Assists, No Nuthin’…….man this sucks.
Every time I see the scoring point totals accumulating for players I cringe.
I’m not getting at anything…just wanted to sulk a bit yet.
Every were I go, people know Were Blackhawks people. You can really tell who your friends are and those that have class.
Just checking to see if I can post-couldn’t for a week??
Ebony was bold enough to want to sign Radulov. Nichushkin has been a healthy scratch and wants out of Dallas. He’s regressed since his rookie year after hip surgery. But he’s young, has size, plays right wing and is Russian. All Russian second line?
Ernie, Nichushkin… imo- similar to Panik… with better Puck control and stick handling…
Looks good to me
Watching the World Championships. Ouch….ouch..ouch…..ouch! Erik Gustafsson…(FACEPALM). Another defensive mistake. And a Latvian player all alone with the goalie. Still tied 1-1 vs Latvia. Now going to OT.
Perhaps Gustav Forsling will do better in a Hawks uniform?
Looking forwad to watch Artemi Panarin later on to night when Russia takes on Czech Republic.
Sweden wins!….Sweden wins!….Sweden Wins in OT!
Anyhow…..
Go Hawks!
Appreciate the update Eric!
What station/ network is carrying these world championships games ?
Thx
The only game in this round that was available to us was US and Canada. That happened earlier today. It was on NBCSN.
USA lost 5-1 after opening the scoring. Motte was -2 with I want to say 14 minutes of ice time. Hinostroza had 8.
Caggiula could make his decision today. Canucks are possibly front runners. Buffalo is reportedly out.
McKenzie just reported one of the US based teams was told Caggiula would be going to a Canadian team.
In Canada the games are on TSN
Sounds like Caggiula is going to Edmonton or Vancouver. I guess winning didn’t mean as much as you’d think.
Looks like Edmonton
Caggiula was an excellent college hockey player. I saw him play in person a few times. He’s got a great motor. He’s not very big. I’m not a scout so I’m not sure if that is going to translate into him being a solid NHLer or is he going to be a good Ahl player. If you look at his stats, his best year was his senior year when he was one of the older players in college.
I would actually like to the see the Hawks get in the conversation on Jimmy Vesey when he becomes UFA. He’s bigger, plays left wing and might be more NHL ready.
We shall see.
Craig, agree on Vesey 1000%
Vesey- rumored to the Bruins
Partially inebriated so my apologies. But Vesey is a huge B’s fan. So it been rumored that deal is already done. However, Vesey’s dad is a scourt for Toronto but woros out of the Massachusetts area. His younger brother was also drafted by the leafs so the speculation was he was going to the Leafs.
Hed solve a huge hole if he came here.
Just wondering if the winner of Dallas/St Louis series wins the Stanley Cup does that change anyone’s opinion of the Hawks? Maybe they were one of the top NHL teams despite the disappointing 1st round loss. How can Washington be losing 3-1 to Pittsburgh? That has to be crushing if they lose that series. Which was the worse trade? Hawks getting Trevor Daley or Hawks trading Trevor Daley?
Keith- great question… I would say getting Daley… cuz that means Hawks keep Oduya
Caggiula + McDavid … might be the two fastest guys on one line in league (assuming they do skate some together)… scary!!!
Not to mention… Oilers drafting Laine!!! Yikes- kid is a beast!!! scored 2 g’s 1 a in opening round IIHF yesterday… shot like Ovechkin…. Scary…
I don’t know how the Oil… aren’t in PO’s next year… GM- needs to move RNH/Yakupov for some D help and Or Sign A Big name D guy
McD, Caggiula, Laine, Draistl… should be core… land 2-3 D core guys… and NHL better look out-SOON- Not to mention 1st 3 Guys are WINNERS!!!
Talk the oilers may trade a forward. They’d love to dump Yakupov, but I don’t see many takers. After that they’d prefer to trade RNH, but teams like Draisatl more. Because of talent and salary. It’s been speculated they could trade Eberle, but that leaves them thin on the right side. Some execs say they would trade Hall as he would get a higher return.
Oilers want Defense. The only thing that may pique the Hawks have would be Seabrook. But that leaves a huge hole for the Hawks. Lots of talk about Subban possibly going to Edmonton. Frankly it seems a 1/2 dman is more valuable than top 6 forward. You take a top 3 dman away from most teams and they would struggle to replace them.
Ever since the Penguins fired Johnston they’ve been on a roll.
Speaking of coaches, the Wild interviewed Guy Boucher and Marc Crawford. I thought Torchetti did a bang up job just getting that team to the playoffs. Not sure why they’d look elsewhere. Torch has been an interim coach for 3 different teams. And an Associate coach for another. Kevin Dineen has had his name thrown around the carousel so the Hawks may need a new assistant.
re: trade talk – last time I checked the Blackhawks NEED defensemen. Trading Seabrook doesn’t help anything.
Also, I don’t see the Oilers trading Hall or McDavid so getting Subban would be a tough trade to pull off.
With Caggiula signing with the Oilers,will Schmaltz do a Kevin Hayes and opt not to sign with the Hawks signing instead with the Blues to play with his brother? Odds would be in the Blues favor if they win the cup.
A thing could happen like that. I will say when I saw those two brothers in lake placid after the incorrect news about Kaner, that the older brother had a smirk on his face when he saw my hat and the younger brother had a trufull look of concern on his face, like he cared.
People need not to forget that this will be the first yr in many yrs the Cambell concert didn’t have a top team (LA/CHI) in finals which PIT is lucky to not have to play, if TAM doesn’t beat them. Nothing against STL, Same for them they are lucky they didn’t have to play LA (or) and CHI both to get there.
This is an odd yr, that happens every once in awhile where the top teams are not there and these are the teams that have been looking on the outside for the past several yrs/that get the advantage from that.
It LA and TAM turn to pay their top players higher caphits and those two teams will not be as good/deep as they have been the past few yrs.
Bob, Schmaltz grew up in Verona,Wi. He listed the Hawks as his favorite team and Kane as his favorite player before the draft. I don’t see him jumping ship when he probably wouldn’t get a gain financially.