In May, the Capitals re-signed 22-year-old forward Nicklas Backstrom to a new contract, guaranteeing that the Swedish center will remain in Washington for the next 10 years.

Backstrom, whose impressive 2007-08 rookie season had him nominated for the Calder Memorial Trophy, was just fine with sticking around – one reason he agreed to the contract is so that he could keep playing with Alex Ovechkin, who has another 11 years on the 13-year contract he signed in 2008.

Backstrom and Ovechkin's chemistry on the first line is undeniable – the two combined for 229 points in the 2009-10 season.

But Backstrom wasn't the only Swedish center to get a new contract with the Capitals this summer.

Backstrom's contract was announced in tandem with the signing of 2009 first-round draft pick Marcus Johansson to a three-year entry-level deal.

Johansson, 19, hopes to have his name inked on the roster by the first game of the 2010-11 season. With the small number of deals made by the Capitals during the free agency period, there are a few spots in the lineup that are up for grabs. Johansson has indicated that he's ready to fight to get his chance.

"I'm going to do everything I can to get that spot and be able to play on one of the best teams in the world," he said.

At this summer's development camp, Johansson made the first step toward a roster spot. He was one of the standouts of the camp, skating as the first line center most days. He was eager to show his talents as well as his maturity; he was frequently asking questions of the coaching staff during drills.

While he did have to adjust to the smaller North American ice, coach Bruce Boudreau noted his Backstrom-like skating stride and puck control. Not that Johansson is new to playing professional hockey – he's spent the last two seasons with the Swedish Elite League's (SEL) Färjestad team, a team with whom Johansson won the SEL championship in 2009. He also competed with Sweden's National Junior team in 2009 and 2010 World Junior Championships (winning a silver medal in 2009 and landing the team captaincy in 2010).

With voids left by unsigned UFAs Brendan Morrison and Eric Belanger on the Caps roster, Johansson could be the missing link at center behind Backstrom and Tomas Fleischmann. But is he ready for it?

Unlike most of his peers at development camp, who currently play collegiate or junior hockey, Johansson has played the past two years with men up to twice his age. The league has also proved to be a great primer for NHL.

Like Johansson, Backstrom was drafted from the SEL. Backstrom spent one more year with his Swedish team before entering the NHL, and obviously the experience translated well. Backstrom notched 55 assists in his rookie season, breaking the Capitals' team record for most assists in a rookie season.

Capitals management is confident that Johansson could follow a similar track. After taking a good look at Johansson during development camp, McPhee thinks that he is ready for the NHL.

"He's a good player and we're going to bring him along at the right pace, but we're really confident he can play in the league this year and play for us," McPhee said. "We could take our time and leave him in Sweden for another year or put him in the American League but we really believe he belongs here."

With all his similarities to Backstrom, Johansson has sought advice from his countryman on improving his play and getting accommodated to the Capitals system. Backstrom is confident that Johansson will adjust, as he did, to playing in the NHL.