After the Capitals lost their final game of the season to the New Jersey Devils 5-4, Nicklas Backstrom looked towards the future.
As Backstrom stood at the benches after completing his 16th season in the NHL, the Swedish center spoke to NBC Sports Washington’s Al Koken, reflecting on the team’s failed year which saw Washington miss the playoffs for the first time in nine years.
"Hopefully I can get a good summer here and get ready for the start next year…that will be nice."
Nicklas Backstrom is dedicated to playing with the @Capitals.@RealSmokinAl | #CapsDevils pic.twitter.com/4sUPuJCTvj
— NBC Sports Capitals (@NBCSCapitals) April 14, 2023
“It’s crazy,” Backstrom said. “It’s just one of those seasons, I think. It’s been really unlucky with the injuries. Over an 82-game season, it’s hard to win every night when you have top players injured.”
Backstrom, who underwent major surgery to repair his hip over the summer, went into the 2022-23 campaign unsure if he’d ever play hockey again. He had missed training camp in both 2021 and 2022, and only one NHL player had ever returned to play after hip resurfacing surgery, the procedure he underwent last June. It seemed like it could be the end of the road for one of DC’s hockey icons.
But in early January, Backstrom, along with Tom Wilson who was rehabbing from his own offseason knee surgery, completed his comeback and returned in Game 43 of the regular season against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Few professional athletes who have undergone hip resurfacing return to their sports successfully. But there are some, like tennis star Andy Murray, who have had great success.
“Obviously, [I] kind of beat the odds a little bit,” Backstrom said. “No one thought I was going to come back. I got around 40 games in. Starting to feel a lot better at the end of the season.”
Backstrom finished the year with 21 points (7g, 14a) in 39 games. Even after surgery and recovery, he was able to make sensational plays when given the time and space. In his final game of the season, he showed off his skills with a phenomenal primary assist on a Rasmus Sandin goal.
But if you look deeper at Backstrom’s 2022-23 campaign, it was his worst as a pro. Backstrom finished with career lows in points-per-60 (1.9), assists-per-60 (1.2), and plus-minus (minus-25).
Backstrom’s process stats at five-on-five were brutal. The Capitals were outscored 27-14, out-attempted (476 to 429), and out-chanced (247-200) when Backstrom was on the ice. Backstrom finished the year with a career-low 34.2 goals finished percentage. While his return demonstrated incredible tenacity, age and injury have taken their toll on the alternate captain.
While Backstrom struggled at 5v5, he managed to produce while the Capitals were on the extra man posting six of his seven goals and 11 of his 21 points on the power play.
It’s unclear how much more Backstrom can improve with his miles and his age (36), but the legendary Capital implied he’s not ready to hang up his skates.
“I’m just happy to be a part of it,” Backstrom said. “Hopefully I can get a good summer here and get ready from the start next year. I haven’t done a full training camp to be a part of the team from the start so that’ll be nice.”
Backstrom has two years remaining on the five-year deal he signed in 2020. He makes $9.2 million annually.
Headline photo: Alan Dobbins/RMNB
