The Washington Capitals were without Nicklas Backstrom for practice on Friday.
Capitals head coach Todd Reirden announced the news while speaking with reporters on a Zoom teleconference.
Caps' Nicklas Backstrom did not practice today, per Reirden.
— Samantha Pell (@SamanthaJPell) August 7, 2020
Reirden said the team will see how Backstrom is tomorrow … then assess the situation moving forward. He could not elaborate on why he missed practice.
— Samantha Pell (@SamanthaJPell) August 7, 2020
Reirden was unable to explain Backstrom’s absence due to an NHL and NHLPA agreement for the 2020 playoffs that requires teams to keep medical issues quiet.
Backstrom did not appear to suffer an injury against the Flyers on Thursday. Backstrom had 21 minutes and 42 seconds of ice time (25 shifts) during the game and was on the ice for a goal against.
The Swedish also bounced up higher in the lineup when Evgeny Kuznetsov got benched late in the game.
The Capitals have already been without Norris Trophy finalist John Carlson who missed the Capitals first two games of the round-robin after an awkward fall into the end boards during the Caps’ exhibition game against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Capitals are also down third-line center Lars Eller who left the bubble and is in Washington for the birth of his second child.
#Caps face the #Bruins in the round robin finale Sunday at a time TBD. https://t.co/FZ5osCZA2w
— Tarik El-Bashir (@Tarik_ElBashir) August 7, 2020
Headline photo: Elizabeth Kong/RMNB
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