ARLINGTON, VA — When Nicklas Backstrom announced that he would be stepping away from the team, the Capitals lost far more than just a centerman. The second-longest tenured player in franchise history after 16 years, Backstrom became a fixture in both DC sports history and in the lives of his teammates, who have scarcely known a Caps team without him.
TJ Oshie felt that loss keenly Wednesday morning. He and Backstrom had grown close in the eight years they have both been in Washington. On the ice, Oshie spent years on Backstrom’s wing, a bond only strengthened by a Stanley Cup championship. Off the ice, their families moved into the same neighborhood — close enough for their children to run to each others’ houses through a neighbor’s yard.
After years of dealing with his own injury woes, Oshie says he understands why Backstrom had to make the decision he did. Even so, the absence cut deep.
“It’s a lot physically,” he said. “It’s a lot mentally. And when it compounds over years, it’s tough. So I can absolutely understand where he’s coming from and understand why he’s chosen to — why he needs to get healthy again and get back to 100%. Selfishly, as a guy, you just want him out there with you.”
In July of 2015, Oshie got the news that St. Louis Blues had dealt him to Washington. He had been drafted by the franchise and spent seven years there, including two as alternate captain. The trade stung, but just knowing he would play alongside Ovechkin and Backstrom made it easier to bear.
“When I got traded here, I was excited to play with 8 and 19, you know?” he said Wednesday. “That’s what got me through the pain of feeling like you’re getting shipped off, was getting able to play with Backstrom as a centerman and Ovi on left wing.”
Though Ovechkin remains Backstrom’s most iconic winger, Oshie has spent much of his career in Washington on the other side of that duo. The two have skated for more than 90 hours together since the trade, more than half of their total ice time each over that span. Of the 180 goals Oshie has scored in Washington, nearly half (82) have come off of a Backstrom assist; he has returned the favor on 30 of Backstrom’s 126 goals since his arrival.
Oshie further emphasized Backstrom’s leadership and his ability to strengthen the players around him. He may be a prime example of Backstrom’s influence but he is far from alone. More than 10 of Backstrom’s 16 years in Washington have been spent as an alternate captain, leaving a mark on the fabric of his team.
“His support on and off the ice is second to none for a lot of guys in this room,” Oshie said. “My career kind of got resurrected because he’s my centerman. I know there’s a couple other guys that can say the same, that have signed contracts because of how good of a teammate he is and how good he is at elevating other people’s play.”
An often-emotional player, Oshie highlighted Backstrom’s ability to remain calm as a particular lesson he’d learned from the center.
“He’s a calming voice in the locker room and on the bench and someone that you look at and you really try to keep your cool,” he said. “I think I’ve learned a lot from him by not getting so emotional and so up and so down. He’s very good at that. We’ll miss that.”
The two further bonded in recent years over injury recovery as both have missed significant time: Backstrom with his hip, Oshie with lingering back issues. Both struggled at times last season and vowed to come back stronger.
“We were both excited about coming back and making a little comeback on some injuries that we’ve had,” Oshie said.
When fall rolled around, it looked like both had succeeded. Instead, Oshie watched his friend forced to make a different choice. He held back tears when speaking to reporters after practice Wednesday afternoon.
“As a teammate, it’s hard to watch the guy announce something like that, because I’ve seen how hard he’s worked to get back,” he explained. “And not just from one surgery, it’s been multiple. He’s been working super hard to come back and play the game that he loves again. So it was a pretty emotional morning.”
Though Backstrom missed much of last season, this felt different. Now, Oshie and the Capitals must figure out who they are without Backstrom by their side as one of their leaders.
“It’s just tough all around to not have 19 on the bench next to you,” he explained. “That’s a massive hole that can’t be filled.”
He later added, “We need guys to step up and lead in whatever way that they’re able to lead. It doesn’t have to be an old guy. It doesn’t have to be a guy that’s been in the league for six, seven years. It can be a young guy that leads by example by coming to the rink every day, doing his job and then on the ice leading by example by knowing his assignments, doing them correctly and doing them hard. It’s going to take everyone leadership-wise to try to make up for not having a 19 in there.”
Oshie struggled to face what Backstrom’s absence would mean off the ice as well, as even traveling to away games took on a different meaning.
“That’s going to be one of the hardest things, not having him on the plane. Some guys have sat next to him for their whole entire career on the plane. Things like that.”
Backstrom plans to remain in DC for the foreseeable future, evaluating his future options and supporting the team from the sidelines. On a personal level, Oshie was grateful to still have his neighbor close at hand.
“It’ll be nice to have him around the room, have him around the locker room. Especially for the young guys. I’m super lucky because I’ll see him every morning at the bus stop. We’re in close proximity, so I’ll still be getting my Backy fix. It’ll be nice for some guys to have him around the room to see how he still carries himself.
“He’s a big part of this team, a big part of the organization and he’s a big part of a lot of the guys’ close friendships.”
Headline photo: Elizabeth Kong/RMNB
