The Washington Capitals have announced that forward Nicklas Backstrom will step away from the organization for an extended period of time to deal with an ongoing injury issue.
Nicklas Backstrom Stepping Away From Capitals With Injury
The Washington Capitals and Nicklas Backstrom provide an update on Backstrom’s health status.
Full release: https://t.co/cnyOHoqFxt pic.twitter.com/OXA7n1Dsqu
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) November 1, 2023
The Swedish-born forward has played all 1105 games with the Capitals and ranks second all-time in points with 1033. Currently, he sits 460 points behind Alexander Ovechkin.
Backstrom was picked 4th overall by the organization in 2006 and won a Stanley Cup with the organization in 2018. Internationally, Backstrom is a two-time world champion, one-time Olympic silver medallist, U-18 world juniors bronze medallist, and one-time Gagarin Cup champion in 2013.
Regarding the situation, Backstrom wrote in the review, “This is a difficult decision, but one that I feel is right for my health at this time. I want to thank my teammates, the organization, and the fans for their unwavering support throughout this process.”
Brian MacLellan, the General Manager and President of Hockey Operations, wrote, “We stand behind Nicklas and will support him throughout this process. We know firsthand how hard he has worked and how determined he is to get back to full health.”
In the past few years, Backstrom has struggled with injuries, undergoing hip resurfacing surgery to resolve the problem and hopefully continue his playing career.
What This Means
Although Washington has had a rough start to the year, going 4-3-1 in their first 8 games, they’re currently riding a three-game winning streak.
after losing Backstrom for what could be the final time, they are officially one step closer to the inevitable rebuild that NHL fans have been waiting for the team to announce and begin.
This season, Backstrom has one assist in eight games and currently sits at a +/- of -3.
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