Washington Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom will miss the start of training camp, the organization announced today. Backstrom’s rehabilitation with his hip will keep him sidelined, and he is listed as week-to-week.
#Caps center Nicklas Backstrom will miss the start of the 2021 Training Camp due to ongoing rehabilitation on his hip. Backstrom is currently listed as week-to-week.
— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) September 23, 2021
Nicklas Backstrom Out For Training Camp
The left-shooting center has been a mainstay of the Capitals’ lineup for years. In 55 games last season, he put up 53 points in the form of 15 goals and 38 assists, spending over 1,000 minutes on the ice. He led the team in both points and assists and was third on the team for goals. His possession numbers were a 56.5% Corsi For and a relative Corsi of 8.9. Over his 14-year career with Washington, he’s played 1,011 games, scoring 258 times and putting up 722 assists to rack up 980 total points. His overall faceoff percentage is slightly over 50%.
How Washington Adjusts
Losing Nicklas Backstrom for the start of training camp is not the end of the Capitals’ season. The 33-year-old is usually healthy and performing at a top level during the regular season. However, it will become an issue if he is out for the start of the regular season, or longer. Players like Lars Eller or T.J. Oshie will have to step up to replace the first line center if he misses games. While Eller is a solid second or third-line center, he is not capable of playing top line minutes. Oshie is one of those players that can slide into that first-line center position, but he is much more suited to carry the second line and spread out the offence.
Backstrom’s hip rehabilitation is the injury keeping him out, and this could worry some Capitals’ fans. As he ages, this problem will only get worse, which could limit his availability. If the Capitals want to keep competing for a Stanley Cup, they need to keep Backstrom healthy and ready to play.
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