One of the most rewarding transactions in the history of the Nashville Predators came April 3, 2013, when they traded Martin Erat and Michael Latta to the Washington Capitals for Filip Forsberg.
The Capitals had selected Forsberg with the No. 11 pick in the 2012 NHL Draft. He won a silver medal with Sweden at the 2011 World Under-18 Championship and led Leksand's junior team with 21 goals and 40 points in 2010-11.
One of the most rewarding transactions in the history of the Nashville Predators came April 3, 2013, when they traded Martin Erat and Michael Latta to the Washington Capitals for Filip Forsberg.
The Capitals had selected Forsberg with the No. 11 pick in the 2012 NHL Draft. He won a silver medal with Sweden at the 2011 World Under-18 Championship and led Leksand's junior team with 21 goals and 40 points in 2010-11.
As captain he helped Sweden win silver at the 2012 Under-18 World Championship and was named the tournament's best forward after tying for second with five goals. He also helped Sweden win the 2012 World Junior Championship.
Forsberg won the 2013 Golden Cage Award as the Allsvenskan's top junior player and had five points in six games to help Sweden win the 2013 World Junior Championship, where he was named to the tournament all-star team.
Joining the Predators following the Swedish season, Forsberg made his NHL debut April 14, 2013, against the Detroit Red Wings. He got an assist for his first NHL point April 23, 2013, against the Calgary Flames.
Forsberg scored his first NHL goal Oct. 8, 2013, against the Minnesota Wild. He played 47 games for Milwaukee of the American Hockey League that season, tying for the team lead in power-play goals (seven) and finishing second in points per game (.72). He was captain as Sweden won a silver medal at the 2014 World Junior Championship, where he was second in scoring with 12 points. Forsberg became the first Swede to be named MVP of the tournament.
He finished fourth in voting for Calder Trophy, awarded to the NHL's top rookie, in 2014-15 and was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team after leading the Predators in goals (26) and points (63). Forsberg scored two goals in the NHL All-Star Game, becoming the first player in Predators history to score in the game. Also that season, he got the first Stanley Cup Playoff hat trick by a Nashville player, against the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 5 of the first round.
In 2015-16 he had two natural hat tricks in a span of three games -- Feb. 23, 2016, against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Feb. 27, 2016, against the St. Louis Blues -- becoming the first NHL player to do so in three or fewer games since Petri Skriko did it in consecutive games in 1986 for the Vancouver Canucks.
NOTES & TRANSACTIONS
- NHL All-Rookie Team (2015)
- Played in NHL All-Star Game (2015)
- Traded to Nashville by Washington for Martin Erat and Michael Latta, April 3, 2013.
