The Washington Capitals announced on Tuesday that they have placed Nicklas Backstrom on long-term injured reserved. The move will force Backstrom to miss the first ten games and 24 days of the season.

The news comes after Backstrom did not skate one time during all of Training Camp and the preseason.

This also allowed the Capitals the ability to recall Connor McMichael and Beck Malenstyn from the AHL after the paper move they made yesterday.

#Caps place center Nicklas Backstrom on long-term injury list and recall forwards Connor McMichael and Beck Malenstyn from the Hershey Bears (AHL).

— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) October 12, 2021

On the first day of Training Camp, Backstrom was listed week-to-week as he rehabbed a nagging hip injury.

“It’s getting better and better,” Backstrom said later that week about his hip. “We’re not rushing it here, we’re looking at it long term, not short term to make sure it’s ready before I start skating. It’s just been beaten up, was a good time now to really be patient with it and make sure I feel good before I step on the ice. Progress is going good, feeling better. Hopefully, I can be on the ice soon.”

In the meantime, Hendrix Lapierre and Connor McMichael battled all preseason to fill the open center spot in the lineup due to the injury. Monday, the Capitals announced that McMichael and Beck Malenstyn would be “assigned” to Hershey so that the Capitals could stay cap compliant.

Placing Backstrom on LTIR allowed the Capitals to call both players back to the NHL roster and keep Lapierre centering their third line.

This is all notable due to the injury Alex Ovechkin suffered that has kept him out of two straight practices. McMichael has filled in as the top ling left wing in Ovi’s absence.

Headline photo: Elizabeth Kong/RMNB