“Owns a very projectable (6-3) frame and the ability to be a spectacular netminder when on his game. Likes to challenge shooters and can excel with the butterfly style. Is quite raw and still needs some work on his overall technique. Also, he must fill out his frame more in order to maximize his puck-stopping skills at the highest level.”
—The Hockey News
“Forsberg has good size and is continuing to refine the technical aspects of his game. He has steadily developed and has a lot of natural ability and needs a few years of experience. He is often referred to as a butterfly goalie that plays a modern style and is not afraid to come to the tip of the crease. He appeared a bit overwhelmed in his first NHL experience but has played well at the minor league level.”
—hockeysfuture.com
Of all the Hawks’ summer acquisitions, goalie Anton Forsberg is one injury away from being by far the most important.
One injury to starter Corey Craword, that is.
If you're looking for some reassurance, Forsberg actually comes to the Hawks with a better resume’ of work than Scott Darling did in 2014—capped by backstopping his Lake Erie team to the AHL championship last year.
Add to that, in my opinion, Darling’s Chicago success and Crawford’s matriculation from “yeah, but he plays behind a great defense” to “legit money goalie” in the eyes of most observers can be traced to Chicago’s outstanding goalie coach, Jimmy Waite.
Once considered the heir apparent, or most likely eventual backup to Sergei Bobrovsky, in Columbus, Forsberg was eclipsed and rendered expendable over the last 12-18 months by Joonas Korpisalo.
That isn’t necessarily a condemnation—Korpisalo is the real deal.
So Forsberg became one of the throw-ins in the Artemi Panarin-Brandon Saad trade this summer. But clearly, the Hawks scouted him, wanted him and got him—knowing he would back up Crawford.
He’s not exactly a carbon copy, but in some ways Ottawa Senators netminder (and former Hawk draftee) Craig Anderson is a decent comparable for Forsberg.
They are about the same size. When Anderson came up, he relied heavily on quicks and athleticism, not so much on technique. Over time, he has become more of a pad sponge/blocker in style.
Forsberg has the gambler’s mentality of a young Anderson, and the good and bad that go with it, but generally adheres better to a pure butterfly style, where Anderson has become more of a hybrid goalie over the years.
Like Darling, Forsberg is adept at spreading out and using his pads to take away everything down low; like Crawford, his feet are outstanding and he moves very well post to post.
And Waite’s track record is he does well with butterfly style pupils.
Forsberg will likely be in between the pipes tonight in Columbus, behind a lineup that can best be described as part Ice Hogs, part Indy Fuel, part bartender. But I’ll keep an eye on him and report back with anything else that jumps out at me.
After all, as Darling arguably helped the Hawks get out of the first round of the 2015 playoffs—and eventually win the Stanley Cup—much may be expected of Forsberg before the warm weather returns in 2018.
Chicago Blackhawks Blogger • 
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