Caps draft pick Thomas DiPauli.(Photo credit: Dave Sanford)

After trading their second round pick and Cody Eakin to the Dallas Stars in exchange for center Mike Riberio, Washington did not move any of their other ten picks in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. In the first round, they acquired talented winger Filip Forsberg and rough-and-tumble power forward Tom Wilson; through the next six rounds, they would go on to acquire four US players, a Canadian player, a Swedish player, and a Russian.

Notably, the Caps selected three players from the U.S. developmental team, and one player recently of the U.S. developmental team. “I asked [the scouts] ‘What are we doing here?” said McPhee about this trend. “Are we drafting the whole team?’”

“We made a lot of picks today,” McPhee said of the second day overall. “I don’t know those kids very well. [...] It’s nice to sort of restock this year, and we’ll see how they are in a couple of years.”

Chandler Stephenson, 3rd Round, 77th Overall

With the 77th selection in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, the Washington Capitals selected Chandler Stephenson of the Regina Pats. Stephenson is a center/left wing and is known as a creative, skilled forward. In two years with Regina, Stephenson has scored 29 goals and notched 61 points, including a 22-goal performance this year. Stephenson’s stat line is very similar to Cody Eakin’s in his two years in the WHL before the draft, however Stephenson has more than 10 pounds of weight over Eakin already. He is 5’10 and 192 lbs.

Thomas DiPauli, 4th Round, 100th Overall

With the 100th selection in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, the Washington Capitals selected center Thomas DiPauli of the US developmental program. In three years with US developmental program, DiPauli has scored 21 goals and had 62 points. He is 5’11 and 188 lbs. “Best moment of my life,” DiPauli said of the draft. “Dream come true. It was incredible.”

Austin Wuthrich, 4th Round, 107th Overall

With the 107th selection in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, the Washington Capitals selected Austin Wuthrich. Wuthrich is a right wing formerly of the US developmental program, now playing college hockey for Notre Dame. In 36 games with Notre Dame, Wuthrich scored 7 goals and had a total of 17 points. He is 6’1 and 190 lbs.

Connor Carrick, 5th Round, 137th Overall

With the 137th selection in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, the Washington Capitals selected Connor Carrick of the U.S. developmental program. Carrick is a defenseman who is known for his skating and work ethic. In two years with U.S. developmental program, Carrick scored 8 goals and had 18 points. He is 5’11 and weighs 185 lbs. “Yeah, it’s got to make going to camp and things like that easier, to see familiar faces and such,” Carrick said of having his teammates drafted alongside him. “As far as the future, I hope we can all make the team, that would be great.”

Riley Barber, 6th Round, 167th Overall

Photo credit: Dubuque Fighting Saints’ flickr

With the 167th selection in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, the Washington Capitals selected Riley Barber of the U.S. developmental program. Barber is a right wing and projects to be a skill player with good size. In two years in the USHL, Barber scored 34 goals and notched 63 points. He is 6’0 and 194 lbs. You can follow Barber on twitter at @rileybarber94.

Christian Djoos, 7th Round, 195th Overall

With the 195th selection in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, the Washington Capitals selected Christian Djoos of the Swedish under-18 league. Djoos is a defenseman who projects to be a defensively responsible player with some offensive punch. In three years in Swedish junior leagues, Djoos has scored 23 goals and had 99 points overall. He is 5’11 and weighs 158 lbs.

Jaynen Rissling, 7th Round, 197th Overall

Photo credit: Brendan Miller

With the 197th selection in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, the Washington Capitals selected Jaynen Rissling of the Calgary Hitmen. Rissling had 10 goals, 52 points, and 238 PIM with the Hitmen. His uncle, Gary Rissling, played for the Capitals from 1978-81, before being traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Rissling is 6’4 and 223 lbs.

Sergei Kostenko, 7th Round, 195th Overall

The Capitals picked their only Russian and their only goaltender of the draft with their last pick of the day, selecting Sergei Kostenko at 203rd overall. Kostenko is a goaltender playing for Kuznetskie Medvedi in the Russian junior league, and was the third-string goalie for the World Juniors tournament this year. He is also apparently friends with Dmitry Orlov.

Photo credit: Panini America

About a half an hour after the Capitals selected Filip Forsberg at number 11, they had several sexy options at number 16. Two talented Finns were still available in Tuomo Teravainen and Olli Maatta, while PK Subban’s brother Malcolm was also still without a team.

Instead the Caps went a little off the board (THN #25) and drafted six-foot, four-inch right-wing Thomas Wilson.

Photo credit: Bruce Bennett

“In the playoffs, we made a note after one of the games,” Capitals GM George McPhee said. “It was to remember these games when we’re at the draft. Remember how intense they are, how demanding they are, how physical they are, and make sure we get someone who wants to play in that kind of stuff.”

In Wilson, McPhee gets exactly that.

If you skim through Wilson’s favorites list on NHL.com, you quickly understand what kind of hockey he enjoys. His favorite sport other than hockey? rugby; his favorite movie? Green Street Hooligans; and his favorite superhero? Superman.

Perhaps most intriguingly, the player he wants to model his game after is Milan Lucic.

In 49 games for the Plymouth Whalers during an injury-plagued 2011-12 season, Wilson recorded 27 points (9 goals, 18 assists), 141 penalty minutes, and a plus-17 rating. In the playoffs he showed off his scoring touch, adding 13 points (7 goals, 6 assists) in 13 post-season contests when several of his talented teammates were felled due to injury. Wilson also was voted as the ‘Best Body Checker’ in the OHL’s 2012 Western Conference Coaches Poll and was a runner up for the ‘Hardest Worker’ distinction.

The behemoth winger is certainly not afraid to drop the gloves, with 18 fights already in his young career. In fact, he impressed scouts when he broke his knuckle in a fight against fellow draft pick Dalton Thrower at last year’s CHL Top Prospects game.

“There’s so many talented players,” Wilson said in an interview with the Detroit Free Press. “I was just really trying to separate myself. My physical play could do that for me, and I think it did do that. It showed I was working hard and could play that game.”

Wilson also wowed at the scouting combine, finishing in the top ten of almost every power category, including recording the fourth-best result time in the punishing V02 Max bike test.

“You can find guys that are tough,” McPhee explained. “But if they can’t play, what good are they? This kid seems to be that rare combination these days of a guy who is tough but can play. Worst case scenario he plays on the fourth line. If he develops properly, he could be a third, second line player.”

Wilson came highly recommended by former Caps coach Dale Hunter, who saw the winger up close and personal many times last season as a coach of the London Knights. When McPhee and Hunter met up during the morning of Day 1, McPhee was left with one message. “Dale likes [this kid] a lot.”

Wilson will participate in Caps Development Camp, which will be held the second week of July. Then it’ll be off to training camp in September.

“I had (Ovechkin’s) jersey growing up,” Wilson said. “It’s gonna be really cool to meet him.”

Videos

Highlights of Wilson’s goals. Oh god, Linkin Park.

Wilson fights Ben Thomas in the playoffs to stick up for one of his injured teammates.

Minute-long bout with Austen Brassard.

Wilson fights Joseph Cramarossa after he runs one of his teammates.

Wilson meets with the media after being drafted by the Capitals.

Wilson talks with Mike Vogel.

Filip Forsberg poses with Gary Bettman, George McPhee, and Ross Mahoney. (Photo credit: Bruce Bennett)

As the number 11 pick drew near, it seemed as if George McPhee would get a steal regardless of who he took. Both Mikhail Grigorenko and Filip Forsberg, rated as top five talents heading into the draft, had been passed over by the first ten teams.

When McPhee went up to the podium, he shook off some boos and selected the 17-year-old Swede. Welcome to Washington, Filip Forsberg.

“We were surprised,” McPhee told the media after he made the selection. “We didn’t expect Forsberg to be there at all.”

The 6-1, 190-pound right-handed shooting forward was the highest ranked European skater heading into the draft and The Hockey News, TSN, International Scouting Service, and Hockey Prospectus all had Forsberg ranked fourth or higher in their rankings. So why did he fall so low? Does he have webbed feet? Is he secretly rumored to be 45-years-old?

“Sometimes that happens in the draft,” McPhee explained. “A good player falls because everybody’s so zoned in on a certain guy… This draft had a lot of good defensemen.”

It sure did. In fact, eight of the first 10 picks were defensemen. Before McPhee pulled the trigger at number 11, seven straight rearguards had been called to the stage.

Despite falling out of the top ten, Forsberg was still very excited. “It’s a big honor to go to the Washington Capitals and be a part of their great organization,” the prospect said smiling ear-to-ear. “Hopefully, this is a start of a good career.”

In 43 games with Leksands IF of Allsvenskan, Forsberg had 8 goals and 9 assists in 43 games. He also was a standout performer at both the 2011 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament where Sweden won silver and the 2011 World Junior Championships where they won gold.

Forsberg as a kid.

Growing up, Filip modeled his game after his idol, Peter Forsberg (whom he’s not related to), and his style has been compared to that of Corey Perry’s. “He’s got that dynamic two-way power forward game,” Dan Marr, the NHL’s Director of Central Scouting explained. “He’s quite aggressive on the puck, but he shows a really soft touch around the net because he produces in key situations.”

After attending Development Camp in July, Forsberg will return to Sweden next season as has one more year remaining on his contract with Leksands. After that? He’s not so sure. “We’ll see. Hopefully, I can have a good season and everything can happen.” Which we assume means, McPhee will offer him an entry-level deal.

Until then, we must wait at least one year for the potential all-Swede line of Filip Forsberg, Nicklas Backstrom, and Marcus Johansson.

Drats.

Videos

Forsberg highlights with the appropriate European pump-up music.

Forsberg scores two goals against Russia in the 2012 World Under-18 Hockey Championship.

Forsberg talks about fellow countryman Nicklas Lidstrom.

A beaming Forsberg talks to the media.

Forsberg chats with Mike Vogel after being selected at number 11.

Photo via Kristy Morrison

Before General Manager George McPhee even had the chance to select Filip Forsberg with the 11th overall pick of the 2012 NHL Draft, he was met by a loud round of boos by Pittsburgh Penguins fans. Fortunately, a noticeably irritated GMGM brought the sass, and unleashed his fury on the crowd.

Video via BJ Ghassemieh.

“Thank you, Pittsburgh. We’re touched. ::points to heart:: Thank you.”

With Sidney Crosby’s recent injury woes and Alex Ovechkin’s goal production beginning to wane, the Caps/Penguins rivalry has certainly lost some of its steam. It’s nice to know however, that both cities still hate each other.

Is there a GM cooler in the league than McPhee?

I think not.

Photo credit: Bruce Bennett

With the 16th selection in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, the Washington Capitals selected Tom Wilson of the Plymouth Whalers. Wilson is a right winger and projects to be a rugged power forward who hits hard and plays rough. Wilson is 6’4 and more physically developed than most players of his age, and is an excellent open-ice checker, winning the OHL award for best body checker last year. The Capitals will select next in the third round.

Photo credit: Bruce Bennett

With the 11th selection in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, the Washington Capitals selected Filip Forsberg of the Leksands IF in the Swedish ice hockey league Allsvenskan. Forsberg is a winger and projects to be an outstanding offensive player. He was rated the top European skater and had been projected to go 3rd overall. In three years with Leksands, Forsberg has scored 30 goals and notched 58 points, as well as being a dominant player in this year’s World Juniors tournament.  The Capitals will now select again at pick #16.

Additional Photos

Photo credit: Bruce Bennett

Photo credit: Bruce Bennett

Photo credit: Justin K. Aller