The 2011 NHL Entry Draft was held in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on June 24 and 25. Heading into the draft, the Capitals had only five picks due to a variety of trades, which was tied for the fewest in franchise history. Believing that they had prospect depth in their organization and not seeing an available player who could help immediately, Washington traded their first round pick for Troy Brouwer. With just late round selections remaining, the Capitals decided to take players that required time to develop. Three of their four picks were in, or set to attend, college. Fourth-round pick Steffen Soberg, the lone player not attending college, played in the GET-ligaen, Norway's highest level of competition. At the 2011 IIHF World U18 Championships, he posted the second-highest save percentage in the tournament and was considered one of Norway's top three players, though no Norwegian goaltender has ever played an NHL game.