The Chicago Blackhawks signed goaltender Anton Forsberg and forward Tomas Jurco to new contracts, the team announced Monday. Forsberg got a two-year deal worth $750,000 annually, while Jurco got one year at a $800,000 cap hit.
Forsberg, 24, was acquired by Chicago just three days ago in a blockbuster trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets that saw him, forward Brandon Saad, and a 2018 fifth-round draft pick exchanged for Chicago forwards Artemi Panarin and Tyler Motte, and the Hawks’ 2017 sixth-round pick.
The Swedish netminder split time the last three seasons between Columbus and their American Hockey League affiliate. He’s 1-8 in 10 career games with a 4.02 goals-against average and .879 save percentage. In 51 starts with AHL Cleveland, he was 27-17-2 with a 2.28 GAA and .926 save percentage. He’s found success in the postseason as well, going 9-0 with a 1.34 GAA and .949 save percentage during the Monsters’ Calder Cup champion run in 2016.
By locking up Forsberg for two years, the Hawks have cemented him as their backup goaltender after trading Scott Darling was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes in May.
Jurco, also 24, scored one goal in 13 games with Chicago after being acquired from the Detroit Red Wings in February.
Jurco was one of four players set to be restricted free agents that were reportedly tendered qualifying offers. The others were forward Dennis Rasmussen and defensemen Erik Gustafsson and Ville Pokka. Three potential RFAs — forward Michael Latta and defenseman Kenton Helgesen and Nolan Valleau — will not receive qualifying offers by the 5 p.m. ET deadline Monday and become unrestricted free agents July 1.