Hurricanes sign Gustav Forsling, avoid arbitration hearing

The Carolina Hurricanes avoided a scheduled salary arbitration hearing with Gustav Forsling, signing the defenseman on Friday to a one-year, two-way contract.

Forsling, 24, will receive $700,000 in the NHL or $250,000 in the American Hockey League for the 2020-21 season.

“Gustav is a dependable defenseman that fits our system at both the NHL and AHL level,” president and general manager Don Waddell said in a statement. “Our organizational depth at defense is strong, and Gustav is a representation of that.”

Forsling had 8 goals and 18 assists in 57 games with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers last season. He set AHL career highs in goals, assists, points and games played in 2019-20 and ranked fourth among Checkers defensemen in points and goals.

Forsling was a restricted free agent who was given a qualifying offer by the Canes but filed for arbitration. The hearing was set for Nov. 2.

Canes forward Warren Foegele and defenseman Haydn Fleury have arbitration hearings scheduled -- Foegele for Nov. 4 and Fleury for Nov. 8.

Chip Alexander

The News & Observer

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In more than 40 years at The N&O, Chip Alexander has covered the N.C. State, UNC, Duke and East Carolina beats, and now is in his 15th season on the Carolina Hurricanes beat. Alexander, who has won numerous writing awards at the state and national level, covered the Hurricanes’ move to North Carolina in 1997 and was a part of The N&O’s coverage of the Canes’ 2006 Stanley Cup run.