Forsberg had standout performances at both the 2011 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament in Břeclav, Czech Republic, and the World U18 Championships Tournament in Brno, Czech Republic, where he was a member of the silver-medal winning Sweden teams. At the World Juniors in Brno, he was also named Best Forward of the tournament. In the final rankings of NHL Central Scouting, Forsberg was the highest-rated European-based forward available in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. He was selected 11th overall in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft by the Washington Capitals.