"He shut down McDavid": Paul Bissonnette dethrones Jacob Slavin to pick $46,000,000 Panthers star as league's best defensive D-man

Paul Bissonnette believes there’s a new top defensive defenseman in the NHL, from the Florida Panthers' camp. On episode 569 of the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast, Bissonnette said defenseman Gustav Forsling has officially taken that title from Carolina Hurricanes' D-man Jacob Slavin.

"I guarantee you, by the time Gustav Forsling is done his career with the Florida Panthers, he is going to the rafters," Bissonnette said.

Then the NHL analyst brought up Slavin's name in the discussion, pointing to Forsling's rise.

"Hey, I'm going to say it right now. I have all the respect in the world for Jacob Slavin," Bissonnette said. "He has been dethroned as the league's best defensive defenseman. That will go to Gustav."

Paul Bissonnette gave strong reasons for his opinion on Forsling, who is signed on a $46,000,000 contract per Spotrac. He pointed out Forsling’s shutdown play against the league’s best player, Connor McDavid.

"I'm not fu**ing around, bro," Bissonnette said. "He shut down fu**ing McDavid in back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals in his prime, scoring one fucking goal, and our closer had two goals. His playoffs instantly got fired. Great, great. So, a good stop is going to the rafters healed. I guarantee."

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In the Stanley Cup Final, Gustav Forsling helped shut down McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. McDavid had two shots and a -4 rating in the Panthers' 5-1 Game 6 win. Despite McDavid’s 100 points and Draisaitl’s 106, the Oilers couldn't break the Panthers' defense when it mattered.

Panthers' Gustav Forsling helped contain the Oilers for the second straight year

Connor McDavid and the Oilers suffered a second straight Stanley Cup Final loss to Florida. Gustav Forsling’s calm, smart defensive play was key to the Panthers' success. He stayed disciplined and made it hard for Edmonton's stars to find scoring chances.

Forsling's performance was quite impressive in the 2024-25 season: 11 goals and 20 assists for 31 points in the regular season. He finished with a +33 rating, which tied for eighth in the league. In the playoffs, he continued to shine. He played over 23 minutes per game and finished with five points and a +13 rating.

Florida won the Cup on home ice at Amerant Bank Arena in Game 6. The crowd watched as their team lifted the trophy for the second straight year. And clearly, Forsling’s role in that run didn’t go unnoticed.

Now, let's see if Bissonnette's prediction comes true and Gustav Forsling gets his number retired by the Panthers one day.

About the author

Ankit is an NHL journalist at Sportskeeda with over 3 years of experience in the writing industry. He has expertise in sports, product, and travel content writing. His interest in ice hockey was piqued after watching Sidney Crosby play and he has been passionately following the game since then. Ankit admires Crosby’s personality and hockey IQ, and when he crossed the 1,500 points tally, Ankit was among the biggest fans to celebrate the occasion.

An Edmonton Oilers fan because of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, Ankit also admires the Pittsburgh Penguins due to Crosby and the Colorado Avalanche for Nathan MacKinnon. He is also a fan of Wayne Gretzky and Bobby Orr.

Holding a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Language, Ankit believes his education has helped him develop a knack for presenting information in a precise and compelling manner. He only sources information from credible avenues and trusted people from his network for his articles.

When he is not watching or writing about the NHL, Ankit loves listening to music and reading books.

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Edited by William Paul