GM says it’s doubtful that Capitals forward Nicklas Backstrom will play again this season.
The venerable Washington Capitals legend left the organization this week following a significant hip surgery in 2022.
After leaving the organization last week, Nicklas Backstrom, a franchise legend, is unlikely to play for the Washington Capitals this season, according to general manager Brian MacLellan.
However, MacLellan did not rule out Backstrom for the whole 2023–24 season.
Everyone feels affected by it. He has played such a significant role in the company, he told reporters on Monday. “Everyone has to move on eventually; it’s a difficult situation.”
The 35-year-old Backstrom just had one assist in eight games this season. Back in June 2022, the Swedish center had hip resurfacing surgery.
I made the decision to take a break from the game and take some time given my current injury issue. Backstrom made his decision in a statement provided by the team. “This is a difficult decision, but one that I feel is right for my health at this time,” Backstrom stated. “I would like to express my gratitude to the fans, the organization, and my teammates for their unflinching support during this process. I would like to request privacy as I think over my alternatives and decide what to do next.
Owing to persistent ailments, Nicklas Backstrom will be leaving the Washington Capitals. (Image courtesy of Getty Images/Minas Panagiotakis))
MacLellan continued in the statement, “We know firsthand how hard he has worked and how determined he is to get back to full health.”
As Alex Ovechkin’s longstanding running buddy, Backstrom is one of the most glaringly underappreciated players of the contemporary age, but that kind of thing is inevitable. Backstrom led the league in assists (722), power play points (396), and points (980) throughout a 1011-game run from the start of the league in 2007–08 until the end of the 2020–21 campaign.
In 47 games since his hip surgery in June 2022, Backstrom has scored a total of 22 points. The forward’s deal has a $9,200,000 cap hit and two years left on it.
“You follow his development here over the last two plus years: he was injured while playing, made multiple attempts to heal, and finally had his hip resurfaced,” MacLellan remarked. It’s been a drawn-out process that has tested his emotional and mental stability. Observing him go through all of that has been difficult.
2019 first-round pick Connor McMichael has shifted to center and assumed a much more major role while Backstrom concentrates on his recuperation; nevertheless, after being moved to the middle of Washington’s third line, he has failed to record a point. The 22-year-old has three points in ten games this season and was crucial to the Hershey Bears’ Calder Cup victory the previous season.
“I don’t believe I’ll be the man who’s capable of just replacing Nicklas Backstrom,” McMichael remarked. “I believe it’s a call to action for the entire team, asking everyone to step up and contribute a little bit more in the hopes that it will fill that void.”
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