Forsberg scores! (Photo credit: Leksands IF)

While the NHL is shut down for the foreseeable future, international hockey is in full bloom. For example: Sweden, where Washington Capitals 2012 first round pick Filip Forsberg played his second full season for Leksands Idrottsförening of the Allsvenskan league.

On Tuesday the 18-year-old (who was rated the top-rated European skater going into this year’s draft) scored his first goal of the 2012-13 season and recorded an assist in Leksands IF’s 5-3 victory over Tingsryd.

Video is below the jump.

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Filip Forsberg is back in North America. (Photo credit: Pavel Paprskar)

While the Capitals are still a month away from training camp (please, no lockout), up to six of their prospects may participate in under-20 tournaments that will be held this week, including 2012 first round draft picks Filip Forsberg and Tom Wilson.

The first tournament, which is being held in Lake Placid, New York, hosts hopefuls from the United States, Sweden, and Finland for an eight-day camp to prepare for the 2013 World Junior Championships in Ufa, Russia.

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Photo credit: Bruce Bennett

One of the best moments of this year’s NHL draft was when George McPhee stepped up to the podium to make the first of his draft picks and was roundly booed by Pittsburgh Penguin fans. McPhee responded to the crowd with some sass, “Thank you, Pittsburgh. We’re touched. Thank you.”

Forsberg hugs his dad while Pens fans boo in the background.

Despite the heckling, McPhee somehow found the composure to draft Swedish forward Filip Forsberg with the eleventh overall pick.

Forsberg, sitting alongside his father, mother, younger brother, and two agents, was overjoyed upon hearing McPhee, exchanging hugs with his family and friends. Meanwhile, as he walked down to greet the Caps caravan and get his first ever NHL jersey, the boos — now somewhat softer — rained down from the crowd.

Forsberg did not understand why.

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Photo credit: Chris Gordon

When Filip Forsberg was selected by the Washington Capitals 11th overall in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, many draft experts praised his skill and scoring, projecting him as an offensive engine for his future team.

On Saturday during the Capitals’ final scrimmage of Development Camp, Forsberg showed off another part of his game which should put him on the fast track to the NHL: his defense.

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Forsberg speaks to the media after the scrimmage. (Photo credit: Chris Gordon)

The Caps prospects and invitees to Development Camp played their fourth scrimmage today, but once again some of the most interesting moves were made off the ice. First-round draft pick Filip Forsberg signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Capitals today, and goalie coach Dave Prior expressed disappointment in prospect Steffen Soberg‘s 2011-12 season.

Despite the fact Forsberg has one more year on his contract with Leksand of the Swedish Allsvenskan League, he stressed that he wanted to commit to the team. “It was a dream come true,” he told CSN’s Chuck Gormley. “I got a good first feeling from the Capitals and I thought it was a good decision to get it done right away.”

Team White won the scrimmage 4-1, with White’s goals scored by David Civitarese, Connor Carrick, Barry Almeida, and Chandler Stephenson on a penalty shot. Team Red’s lone goal was scored by T.J. Syner.

Below the jump, check out Chris Gordon’s photos from the day.

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Sergei Kostenko’s mask features a surprising amount of English on it, not all of which makes sense.

Day four of Caps Development Camps got a lot more interesting than the previous day, with a fight, two penalty shots, and nine goals.

Team Red beat Team White in Thursday scrimmage by a final score of 6-3. Team Red’s goals were scored by Matt Bailey, Greg Miller, Cam Wojtala, 2012 first round pick Tom Wilson, and two from David Vallorani.  Team White’s three goals were scored by David Civitarese, Michael Quinn, and Christian Djoos.

Russian draftee Sergei Kostenko played in his first scrimmage after arriving yesterday from Russia and impressed with his performance for Team Red today, stopping tough shots through three periods, including a penalty shot attempt by blue-chip prospect Filip Forsberg.

My photos from today are below.

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Photo credit: Chris Gordon

There were 46 prospects invited to Caps Development Camp, but arguably the two that DC fans most wanted to see were brand new 2012 draftees Tom Wilson and Filip Forsberg. Wilson has been billed as a power forward in the mold of Milan Lucic, while Forsberg is a high-talent offensive player who the Caps were lucky to draft eleventh overall.

Both impressed on the first day of Development Camp, Forsberg with his skating skill and Wilson with the physicality we’d heard all about, hitting hard all throughout the scrimmage that took place in the later half of the day. RMNB’s Chris Gordon has got plenty of photos of the future Caps stars below.

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Adam Oates, clearly thrilled, coaches his first game as the Caps’ bench boss, albeit not a real one.

Today was the opening day of the Capitals Development Camp, and new coach Adam Oates‘s first day on the ice as head coach. The first day featured a scrimmage, some goals, and glandular freak Tom Wilson destroying everyone like Godzilla let loose on Tokyo – and there’re still five days left to go! We assume at the end of the week they will all burst out of their cocoons and fly away as hockey butterflies.

After both sets of prospects had a chance to practice in the morning, all of them came to the ice for the first of five scrimmages that will take place this week.

Team White won the scrimmage today, 3-1, with Greg Miller scoring the red team’s lone goal. The white team’s three tallies were scored by Greg Burke, Travis Boyd, and Andrew Ammon.

RMNB’s Chris Gordon has pictures of all the action below the jump!

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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.

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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.

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