Anton Forsberg has settled in with the Senators and he’d like to stay

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Anton Forsberg has moved around a lot in his career.

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At the 3 pm Monday trade deadline, the only place the Ottawa Senators’ goaltender wants to head to is to the airport with the rest of his teammates to board a plane to prepare to play the New York Islanders on Tuesday night and start a two- game roadtrip.

There’s been no shortage of speculation surrounding the 29-year-old Forsberg with the trade deadline creeping up quickly. An unrestricted free agent, who has made his presence felt in the Senators net, has attracted attention from league observes but whether talk turns to action remains to be seen.

Never say never because there could be an offer for Forsberg that Senators general manager Pierre Dorion can’t refuse, but we’ve noted in this space several times but the plan right now is for the veteran backup to finish the year here and make a decision on him at the end of the year if an extension isn’t done.

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It’s believed the Senators have held talks with Forsberg’s camp to see what the parameters on an extension may look like, but even if it’s not done by Monday, those talks will continue to try to get something completed

Picked up on waivers by the Senators a year ago, Forsberg has settled into Ottawa nicely and we’ve all seen he can get the job done.

“Everybody knows my history,” Forsberg said Thursday. “I’ve been moving around a lot and I’m kind of used to it. I don’t try to think about it all. I’m here do my job and I know it’s a business.

“I’ve been around and I’ve been moved a bunch of times. I’m having fun and I’m just enjoying it. That’s what I’m trying to focus on.”

Forsberg has spent his lifetime in pro hockey trying to find somewhere to be comfortable and with Matt Murray having a tough time staying healthy it’s opened a door for him to be a starter.

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Last year, he signed with Edmonton and never played a game before being picked up on waivers by Carolina. He was told to stay in Edmonton by the Hurricanes, was waived and picked up by Winnipeg the next day.

This all happened at the end of training camp in Jan. 2021 and Dorion claimed Forsberg on waivers from the Jets in March because he’d always liked him. It’s worked out well for both sides since he got here and that’s why the Senators would like to keep him.

Forsberg will make the start against the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday night at the Canadian Tire Center and Filip Gustavsson will be in the net against the Montreal Canadiens Saturday at the Bell Center.

“I feel like the group believes in me and I believe in the group,” Forsberg said. “I feel like I’m comfortable in here and I’m just enjoying every minute of it. Coming to practice, it feels so good.”

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Under the ideal scenario, Murray would get healthy enough to finish the year and Gustavsson would be sent back to Belleville to help the club compete for a spot in the post-season with prospect Mads Sogaard.

Murray hasn’t completely been ruled out to return this season from the neck/head ailment he’s suffering from right now but it’s not going to be anytime soon and the Senators need Forsberg for the final 22 games of the season.

He’s enjoying his role here and the chance he’s gotten to play.

“I think I’m in a better position now than I was a year ago with all the uncertainty that comes with being in the AHL and NHL,” Forsberg said. “This year I’ve been in the same spot the whole time and I’ve been playing a lot.

“That gives me a lot of stability but it’s not just me, it’s for the whole family because we’re not moving around.”