Forsberg (center) celebrates Leksand’s promotion to the Elitserien with his teammates. (Photo credit: Aftonbladet)

Last Friday afternoon, Capitals General Manager George McPhee discussed the organization’s top prospects, including 2012 first-round pick Filip Forsberg. McPhee made it clear that he’d like the 18-year-old Swede to join the American Hockey League’s Hershey Bears after his season is finished with Leksand on April 5th.

But if Leksand General Manager Tommy Salo has his way, Forsberg will stay in Sweden for one more season.

While speaking to Aftonbladet’s Per Bohman (and lovingly translated by Jake Ware), Salo said of Forsberg, “[He] is getting better every year. He is our key player and we hope have him on loan for one more year (from the Washington Capitals).”

When reminded of his opinion earlier in the season that Forsberg needs another year in Sweden to be ready for the rigors of the NHL, the former Islanders goaltender responded, “Yes, that’s absolutely true. There is of course a difference in quality between the Allsvenskan and the NHL. He is young, has his entire career ahead of him, and we want to keep him for one more year.”

Forsberg admitted he wasn’t ready to discuss the future when Aftonbladet spoke to him during the team’s on-ice celebration.

“I don’t know what’s happening,” Forsberg said. “It’s great that Tommy wants to have me back, but I can’t talk about it so soon after the game and our promotion.”

Great diplomatic answer, Filip.

With or without Forsberg, Salo is sure that his current group is good enough to do well in the Elitserien next season. His focus is now on getting the key players to stay.

“That’s how it’s gotta be,” Salo said. “We will work with the players we have.”

Forsberg hugs a teammate sensually. (Photo credit: Aftonbladet)

Photo credit: svenskafans.com

Filip Forsberg was impressive in Leksands IF’s first game of the Kvalserien, scoring two goals in a 3-1 win over Michael Nylander’s Sodertalje SK. On Thursday, the 2012 first-round pick was at it again, this time tallying two more goals in a 8-3 blowout win over Timra IK.

His first goal is at the 22-second mark. His second begins at 56 seconds.

With five goals in seven tournament games, Forsberg is second in the Kvalserien goal-scoring race and fifth in the point race with eight. Not bad for an 18-year-old.

The blowout win was also important because it basically guarantees Leksand a promotion to Elitserien, Sweden’s top hockey league, next season. With three games to go, second-place Leksand is nine points ahead of the third-place team Timra. Even if Leksand loses all three games and Timra wins all three, their points will be equal at 18. Leksand has a ridiculous 24-goal advantage over Timra in the tie-breaking goal differential (+17 for Leksand and -7 for Timra), so it is almost impossible for Timra to qualify.

Forsberg’s last game is scheduled on April 5th. After that, he is eligible to join the Capitals organization.

Filip Forsberg: so good he gets his own t-shirt.

Photo credit: Leksand Facebook page

Additional reporting by Ian Oland.

Photo credit: hockeyallsvenskan.se

Washington Capitals 2012 first round pick, Filip Forsberg, received a prestigious honor today. The forward was named the best under-20 player of the season in the HockeyAllsvenskan. Forsberg, who finished the season with 14 goals, 17 assists, and a plus-minus of plus-14, also captained the Swedish World Junior Championship team which won the silver medal this year and did the Gangnam Style dance multiple times to utter perfection.

“Lots of players have played well in the league, but of course I’m really happy to win the award,” Forsberg was quoted by the league and translated by friend-of-the-blog Jake Ware. “I’m a bit shocked as the competition was tough. I though Mikael Wikstrand was the favorite with all the points he’s put up.”

Here is Leksands IF’s press release announcing the award as translated by Jake.

The Golden Cage to Filip Forsberg

Viasat and HockeyAllsvenskan announced today that Filip Forsberg has been awarded the Golden Cage, the award given to HockeyAllsvenskan’s best junior.

Honor aside, the prize means that the club’s youth program will receive a check of 100,000 kronor.

It will be presented during the home game against Malmö on Saturday.

Also, here is the league’s justification for giving Forsberg the award.

Filip Forsberg has taken on big responsibility both on and off the ice. He has this season produced at nearly a point per game, and has developed into a leader. Filip has improved his floor and has particularly impressed in his ability to play one-on-one. He was team captain for the World Juniors, being selected to the All-Star Team, and is a big contributing factor as to why Leksand are HockeyAllsvenskan champions 2012/13.

Filip is also a warm and positive person off the ice and is always the first to help out his teammates.

The 100,000 kronor go to Leksand IF’s junior program as an award for the club’s successful use of its young hockey talents.

Forsberg, already signed to a three-year entry-level deal with the Capitals, is eligible to play for the Capitals this season or next.

Filip Forsberg and Jacob De La Rose celebrate. (Photo credit: Leksands IF)

Washington Capitals first-round pick Filip Forsberg, who recently was named to Sweden’s preliminary World Junior Championships roster, scored a goal and assisted on the game-winning tally in Leksands IF’s 4-0 victory over Karlskrona HK Wednesday. It was the prospect’s first game back from a painful hip injury that had sidelined him since November 4th.

Video is below.

Forsberg’s assist is at the 0:15 mark. His goal is at the 1:40 mark. (Video credit: Allsvenskan)

Forsberg, who had struggled mightily in the six games (3 assists) before his injury was diagnosed, looked to be in mid-season form despite missing four weeks of game action. Filip assisted on 2013 Draft prospect Jacob De La Rose’s first period goal and scored the final tally of the game with just four seconds to go in the third period.

Welcome back, Fil!

GIF by forsse90.

We almost broke the internets when we published video of Caps first-round pick Filip Forsberg dancing to PSY’s “Gangnam Style” after a 6-0 blowout by Leksands IF. It appeared to be a once-in-a-blue-moon type of celebration – something I assumed the shy Forsberg would never do again.

But since then, Leksands IF has scored six goals in three straight games, including a 6-1 mollywhopping of Anton Gustafsson’s Asplövenon on Friday. The win returned Leksands IF to the top of the Swedish Allsvenskan League.

And it brought Forsberg and teammate Martin Janolhs back to the dance floor for an encore performance.

PSY’s “Gangnam Style” begins playing at 34 seconds. Forsberg begins dancing at 1:33.

This time, Forsberg kicks it up a notch, adding more showmanship and some razor-sharp footwork to the bit — because if there was one thing that last time lacked, it was the chance of a severed foot. The dance goes smoothly until Forsberg catches a rut in the carpet on his final hop, causing him to nearly head-butt a metal fan on the wall. Not sure how he’d explain that injury to George McPhee.

Hockey players are creatures of habit and superstition. 18-year-old Forsberg may now believe that having an elaborate dance routine similar to the Funkasaurus equals wins. While the lockout has crushed my soul, Filip Forsberg, you and your boy band dance moves are the only things that kept this from being the Worst October Ever.

Moar GIFs!

GIFs by forsse90.

On Saturday, Filip Forsberg‘s Leksands Idrottsförening delivered its biggest beatdown of the season defeating the Malmö Redhawks 6-0. Forsberg, who has been racking up points at a Gretzky-like pace, surprisingly didn’t get his name on the scoresheet, but he did deliver the most memorable moment of the day.

Celebrating their victory in the locker room, Viasat cameras caught the players blasting PSY’s “Gangnam Style.”

Forberg and teammate Martin Janolhs got up from the bench and perfectly executed the Gangnam Style dance. If you study this video as meticulously as I have, you’ll notice Forsberg has dance moves on par with JC Chasez in “It’s Gonna Be Me.”

Dare I say this is better than Bill Nye performing the dance? Surely better than the Giants busting it out on Sunday.

Filip, when you come to DC, bring the dance moves.

GIFs

Created by @broflacco

Thanks to HFBoard’s perry2perry for initially posting.

Filip Forsberg scores from where power forwards are supposed to score. (Photo credit: DT.se)

Though he was ranked the top European skater in this year’s NHL draft, Filip Forsberg‘s second full season with Leksands Idrottsförening has gone even better than expected. He has tallied six goals and five assists in his first 11 games of the year, and is set to nearly quadruple his point production from a year ago.

On Wednesday, Forsberg got out of what some would call a “funk.” After posting a career-high four points against IK Oskarshamn, the Washington Capitals 2012 first-round pick tallied only two assists in his next three games. Today against Bofors IK Karlskoga, Forsberg rediscovered his mojo, scoring his seventh goal of the season on a beautiful individual play.

Forsberg’s goal is at the 1:05 mark. (Video credit: Allsvenskan League)

Forsberg’s goal, which came early in the third period with Leksands down 2-0, is a perfect example of the 18-year-old’s crash-the-net mentality. Coming into Bofors’ offensive zone leading a 2-on-2 break, Forsberg decides he wants to keep the puck all to himself. After using a beautiful deke to make the defender go for a pass, Forsberg dips his shoulder down, dekes the goalie in the crease, and lays the puck into the back of the net for an easy score.

Eight minutes later, a goal by Patrik Hersley tied Leksands with Bofors 2-2. With five seconds to go in the game, Leksands won in a thrilling fashion, thanks to a slapshot by former Flyer Mattias Timander.

With the win against Bofors, Leksands returned to first place in the Allsvenskan League standings. Forsberg is currently tied for tenth in points and tied for fifth in goals. He also leads the league in points and tied for the lead in goals among junior-eligible players (under 20 years of age).

Forsberg celebrates his first goal of the night. (Photo credit: Magnus Eriksson, Pic-Agency via IK Oskarshamn).

Filip Forsberg is now officially tearing it up in the Allsvenskan league. A game after his career-high, four-game, goal-scoring streak came to an end, the Caps’ prospect has had his best game as a pro, tallying four points in Leksands Idrottsförening’s 6-4 victory over IK Oskarshamn. Forsberg’s second goal of the game counted as the game-winner.

Now let’s gooooooo to the video tape.

Forsberg’s goals are at the beginning of the video and the 1:15 mark. Forsberg’s assists are at the 15- and 30-second marks. (Video credit: Allsvenskan)

This is the first image you see right now on Leksands’ homepage.

Forsberg opened the scoring after burying a one-timer from the slot. A few minutes later his grit in front of the net led to a goal by Par Edblom. Oskarshamn tied the game by the end of the first period thanks to two goals by Evan McGrath, but early in the second, Edblom scored again thanks to Forsberg’s great move to create space. Midway through the third with the score 4-3, Forsberg gave his team the crucial two-goal lead on the powerplay after sneaking down the left wing. McGrath took one goal back, but Leksand sealed it with an empty-netter. Forsberg’s goal was the game-winner.

Forsberg now has nine points (six goals, three assists) in eight games, good to lead all junior players (under 20 years of age) in goals and points in the Allsvenskan league. Forsberg is fourth in goals and eighth in scoring among all players. Wow.

Leksands players congratulate Forsberg on his goal. (Photo credit: leksandsif.se)

It’s another day and another goal for 18-year-old Caps prospect Filip Forsberg. The winger scored in his fourth straight game Thursday, this time to tie Leksands Idrottsförening with Sodertalje SK at two in the second period.

Video below the jump.

Forsberg’s goal is at 45 second mark. Jacob Blomqvist is incorrectly labeled as the goal scorer.

Forsberg once again shows his nose for the net, crashing the crease and deflecting a rebound past Sodertalje’s goaltender. This tally allowed Leksands to complete a comeback after falling behind 2-0. They went on to win the game 3-2 and take over the first place spot in the Allsvenkan standings.

Sure seems clear why he was the top-ranked European skater heading into the 2012 draft. The Capitals might have found themselves a steal here.

Filip Forsberg lands a big hit. Photo credit: Leksands IF

Caps prospect and chocolate milk endorser Filip Forsberg continued his strong start to the season, scoring a powerplay goal in his team’s shootout loss to IF Troja-Ljungby on Tuesday. His goal-scoring streak has reached three games, and Forsberg now has four points in his team’s first five games.

Highlights are under the jump.

Forsberg’s goal is at the 40 second mark.

After setting the powerplay, defenseman Mattias Timander shot wide of the net. Jens Bergenstrom picked up a rebound off the endboards. As he tried to play it off the back of goaltender Christoffer Bengtsberg, Forsberg sneaked in from the wing and scored from the doorstep.

Forsberg had a chance to save the game for Leksands as he took the game-deciding final shot in the shootout with the score 1-0 in favor of Troja-Ljungby . The 18-year-old Caps prospect was unable to beat Bengtsberg.

Compared to his peers in the Allsvenskan League, Forsberg leads players under 20 in goals and is second in points behind Mikael Vikstrand.