Filip Forsberg
Although he’s not related to former hockey great Peter Forsberg, there’s a good chance Filip Forsberg will one day join him in the Hall of Fame. The 6-foot-1-inch, 205 lb winger was born in Ostervla, Sweden, and now calls Nashville, Tennessee home where he skates for the Predators. He didn’t start his NHL career in the Music City because Washington Capitals took Forsberg with the 11th pick in the 2012 NHL Draft.
Forsberg was the highest-ranked European forward going into the draft, and the Capitals wasted little time in taking him. He signed a three-year entry-level in the American capital but went back to play in Sweden in 2012/13 where he scored 33 points in 38 contests with Leksand IF. However, on April 3rd of 2013, he was dealt with the Nashville Predators for Michael Latta and Martin Erat in a trade the Capitals will forever regret.
Since the Swedish campaign had ended, Forsberg joined his new teammates in Nashville and played five games, scoring one assist. At the time, he was the third-youngest player to hit the ice for Nashville. He split 2013/14 between the Predators and their AHL farm team in Milwaukee. He scored 15 goals and 19 assists in 47 AHL games and a goal and four assists in 13 outings with Nashville.
It was 2014/15 when Forsberg cracked the Predators lineup and scored 26 goals and 37 assists in 82 games with another four goals and two assists in six playoff encounters. He became the youngest player in Predators history to score a playoff goal and hat trick. Forsberg enjoyed a fine season overall and was named to the league’s All-Rookie Team. In 2015/16 he set more franchise milestones by becoming the youngest Nashville player to record a hat trick in the regular season and the first to score over one hat trick in a campaign.
Forsberg scored 33 goals and 31 assists that season to lead the club in scoring once again and tied the club record for goals in a season. He ran out of steam in the playoffs though with just four points in 14 games. The Predators knew they had a budding star in Forsberg and inked him to a $36 million, six-year contract in the summer of 2016. In 2016/17 he became the first Predator to score hat tricks in two consecutive games. Forsberg ended the year with 31 goals and 27 assists in 82 games and helped the Predators reach the Stanley Cup Final against the Pittsburgh Penguins with nine goals and seven assists in 22 playoff contests.
Before the 2017/18 season faced off, Forsberg was handed additional responsibility by being named an alternate captain. His consecutive game streak of 325 was snapped during the season when he suffered an injury, and he finished the year with 26 goals and 38 assists in 67 games. The Winnipeg Jets eliminated Nashville in seven games in the second round of the playoffs, but Forsberg was almost impossible to contain with seven goals and nine assists in 13 playoff games.
Forsberg skates for Sweden internationally and has taken part in the World Junior under-18 Championships, the World Junior Championships, and the World Championships, winning a gold medal in the 2012 world junior and 2018 world championships. He’s also won four silver medals and was named the tournament’s best forward, most valuable player, and an all-star at the 2014 World Junior Championships. He was also an all-star at the event a year earlier and named the best forward at the under-18 tournament in 2012.
Forsberg is a great offensive player with a quick-shooting release. He combines this with speed and vision, yet also takes care of things on his end of the ice. He’s valuable work on both the penalty-killing and power-play units but could use a bit of upper body strength as he matures.
ON-ICE VALUE
First-Line Forward
STRENGTHS
Finish: Without the benefit of stellar center play in Nashville, Forsberg still scores at a solid clip. He does well to convert on his rush opportunities and is quite crafty in tight. On the power play, he likes to turn in from the right circle and pick corners with his heavy wrist shot.
Confidence: You might not expect it from a Predators forward, but Forsberg is among the boldest and flashiest players in the league. He will gladly attack defenders one-on-one, pulling out an array of toe drags and between-the-legs moves in an attempt to create space for himself. More recently, he’s added the lacrosse shot to his repertoire.
Reliable: Despite his electrifying tendencies, he doesn’t cheat for offense. He supports pinching defensemen and works hard in the trenches. He’s also strong on his skates, which allows him to thrive in puck protection scenarios. He can be trusted to provide an honest effort in any situation.
WEAKNESSES
Shot Selection: Beyond the quality of his centers, Forsberg is held back by his shot selection. Too often, he’ll settle for long, unscreened wristers instead of working toward a higher-quality look. Unsurprisingly, the majority of his goals come from prime real estate. He should focus on driving play toward those areas.
Consistency: He’s never an outright liability, but he does occasionally take his foot off the gas. On those nights, he looks more like a responsible middle-six forward than a three-zone difference-maker. He’s one of the few wingers in the NHL who can drive a line. He needs to do it more regularly.
