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.

In the third period of Saturday’s scrimmage, Forsberg and his teammates found themselves pinned in their own zone clutching a one-goal lead. After Team Red’s Matt Bailey failed to rifle a shot from the circles home, Forsberg dropped down to the slot and used a perfectly timed stick-check to deny T.J. Syner a rebound on a yawning net.

As the puck then found its way to the side boards, Forsberg hustled over to try and dig the puck free. He didn’t hesitate to push and shove with some of his opponents, even barking encouragement at his North American teammates — though not in any language they could understand.

“Jobba,” Forsberg aggressively yells at the 13 second mark. “Hårt där! Hårt där!… Bra!” Friend-of-the-blog Jacob Ware tells us that translates to the following in English: “Work! Hard! Hard!… Good!”

When I asked Forsberg after the scrimmage how he developed such advanced defensive skills for his age, he credited his Allsvenskan league team, Leksands Idrottsförening.

“I play with men over there,” the 17-year-old Forsberg explained. “Their standards are a bit higher than playing with the juniors. If I want to fit in, I have to learn these things.”

Filip continued,”We work a lot on [defense] back home in Sweden, and also on the national team we work a lot on it. If you can’t defend, you can’t win games. You have to be good in both.”

Which is why with a minute left in the scrimmage, Adam Oates, the coach of Team White, sent Forsberg out to close out the game.

In a sequence of about 30 seconds, Forsberg deflects a shot from the point, dives and nearly blocks another, and then blocks a third with his skates.

Despite his hustle, Team Red’s Syner scored on a broken play in front of the net and sent the game to overtime.

Forsberg may have an edge over some prospects who have not had a chance to play with older teammates, but he remains cognizant that he has plenty to work on before he makes the transition to the NHL.

“I have to get stronger and more heavy, better prepared physically, because it’s tough over there but it’s a couple steps even tougher in the NHL,” Forsberg said. “First of all, I need to work on my strength on my body. There are big guys, and also a little smaller rink here. It’s something you have to get used to because this is how it’s going to be in the NHL.”

The teams shake hands following the game. (Photo credit: Chris Gordon)

As has become tradition, Kettler Capitals Iceplex was packed to capacity Saturday for the final scrimmage of the team’s Development Camp and annual Fanfest. On a mid-July morning, hundreds were jammed into the team’s practice facility to watch prospects and college and free-agent invitees duke it out for the last time. Fans also took advantage of autograph sessions with Caps prospects and new Capitals center/rapper Mike Ribeiro, who met the media for the first time yesterday.

As for the game itself, Team Red won in thrilling fashion, pulling out a 4-3 victory in overtime. After red pulled their goaltender, T.J. Syner scored in the final minute of the third period. In overtime, Max Iafrate set-up free-agent invitee Greg Miller for a slam-dunk one-timer in the slot. Stan Galiev and Riley Barber also scored for the red team. Daniel O’Donoghue, Taylor Stefishen, and David Vallorani tallied white’s three goals.

Below, check out my shots from the final day of camp.

Photos from Fanfest

Adam Oates addresses the crowd.

P.A. man Wes Johnson unleashes the fury.

Garrett Haar walks out of the locker room.

Sergei Kostenko warms up.

Ribeiro signs for a fan.

Caps great Ron Langway signs autographs.

Puck drop.

Galiev fires off a shot.

Filip Forsberg (right) fights for the puck.

Patrick Wey delivers a crushing check.

Red celebrates Galiev’s goal.

Red celebrates another goal, this time from Riley Barber.

O’Donoghue scores White’s first goal.

Caps GM George McPhee speaks to reporters during the first intermission.

Ribeiro talks to the media.

A t-shirt toss from the Red Rockers at Kettler.

Radio play-by-play man John Walton calls the game for a live video stream on the team’s website.

Red celebrates Syner’s late goal.

Miller wins it.

Tom Wilson and Galiev embrace.

Max Iafrate (right) after the win.

Haar smiles after the victory.

Coach Adam Oates laughs after calling Ribeiro a “rapper.”

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.

Photos

Russian goalie Sergei Kostenko walks out of the locker before the scrimmage.

Goalie prospect Brandon Anderson.

Bears coach Mark French behind the bench.

Adam McKenzie of the Air Force Academy.

Tom Wilson (red) fights for the puck.

Wilson waits for a faceoff.

Wilson battles for the puck.

Filip Forsberg congratulates his teammates on a goal.

Adam Oates walks to the locker room.

Wilson makes his way down the hall.

Connor Carrick celebrates a goal.

Wilson jaws with the other team.

Stan Galiev (red) knocks over the net.

Wilson has a laugh.

Max Iafrate congratulates Kostenko on the victory.

Garrett Haar laughs after the win.

As does Galiev.

Forsberg signs an autograph for a young fan.

Scouting director Ross Mahoney talks to reporters.

Photo credit: Chris Gordon

Over 3,000 fans packed Kettler Capitals Iceplex on Saturday, packing the Arlington, Virginia practice rink to watch the final scrimmage of Washington’s 2011 Development Camp.

In a physical, fight-filled match (you can check out photos of the day’s fights here), Group B rolled past Group A, 5-2 lead by T.J. Syner’s two goals. Karl Stollery, Reid Edmonson, and Stanislav Galiev also tallied for the winners, while Andrew Cerniwchan and Luke Lockhart scored for the losers.

Below, I recap the game in photos.

Danick Paquette looks on early in the game.

Mattias Sjogren and Cody Eakin battle for a face-off.

Group B celebrates the opening goal.

Brandon Anderson makes a save.

Caleb Herbert gets clipped up high.

Reid Edmondson makes it 2-0, Group B.

Cameron Burt congratulates Anderson after the first period.

T.J. Syner nets his first goal of the game.

Garrett Mitchell gets one back for Group A.

Jacob Gervais-Chouinard robs Cherniwchan.

And Paquette runs Gervais-Chouinard. Yeah, saw that coming.A

Caleb Herbert tries the ol’ spin move, fails.

Dmitry Orlov lays out a massive hit-check.

Dean Evason doing some coaching.

Eakin watches the action.

Luke Lockhart makes cuts Group B’s lead to one.

Two for Synder.

Stan Galiev ices the victory with the empty netter.

*Wink*

Happy Russians.

Gervais-Chouinard and Steffen Soberg talk about goalie things.

P.A. guy extraordinaire Wes Johnson addresses the crowd.

Hi, George.

Anderson speaks to the media, I focus on a screen.

RMNB’s Igor Kleyner talks with Orlov.

Sjogren answers the media’s questions.

Paquette didn’t say any outrageous things in this presser. Too bad.