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Caps assign first-round pick Forsberg to Sweden

Filip Forsberg

Filip Forsberg, 11th overall pick by the Washington Capitals, poses on stage during Round One of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft at Consol Energy Center on June 22, 2012 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (June 21, 2012 - Source: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images North America)

The Washington Capitals have sent their first pick from the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, Filip Forsberg, to Swedish second division outfit Leksands for the 2012-13 season.

Forsberg, still only 17 years old, recently signed a three-year entry level deal with the Caps while participating in their prospect development camp. Despite impressing with his play, the decision was made to return him to Sweden -- at 188 pounds, Forsberg still needs to mature physically and has only played a handful of games outside the junior level.

That said, his play at the junior level is what made him the highest-rated European forward heading into the draft. At the 2011 World U-18s and the Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournaments, Forsberg combined to score eight times -- Goran Stubb, NHL Director of European Scouting, later compared Forsberg “to Anaheim’s Corey Perry a little bit.”

The Caps took Forsberg 11th overall at the draft. Five picks later, they took OHL Plymouth forward Thomas Wilson at No. 16.

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