The Washington Capitals announced on Wednesday that Nicklas Backstrom was taking a leave of absence from the team due to lingering issues with his hip.
“Given my ongoing injury situation, I decided to take some time and step away from the game,” Backstrom said in a statement. “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 fans for their unwavering support throughout this process. I ask for privacy at this time as I determine my next steps and viable options moving forward.”
Monday, Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan spoke to the press, seeking to clarify some of the questions surrounding the muddied situation. For instance, Backstrom is not expected to play again this season.
“I would say it’s unlikely at this point,” MacLellan said, “but, we’ll play it out here a little bit.”
MacLellan first found out about Backstrom’s decision after getting a phone call that Nicklas wanted to meet. “We met Monday morning and he made a decision and explained it to me,” MacLellan said. “That was it.”
While Backstrom may not see the ice again this season, MacLellan does want him to return to the team when he’s ready.
“Hopefully he’s around,” MacLellan said. “We’ll give him time and space and support. I expect to see him around, working out and being around the guys and being around the coaches. Then we’ll see where it goes from there.”
Backstrom underwent hip resurfacing surgery two summers ago to not only elongate his career, but also reduce general pain that he was feeling daily. Backstrom’s hip problems then were so bad that he had trouble walking, putting on and tying his shoes, and playing with his kids. The surgery corrected that pain allowing Backstrom to feel great again in daily life, but he has not been able to regain his past form on the ice.
Backstrom played only the back half of the 2022-23 season as he rehabbed from the major surgery. His process and possession stats were some of the worst on the team. After a full summer rehabbing and looking impressive in his first few games of the preseason, Backstrom’s numbers did not improve through eight games of the 2023-24 regular season. Backstrom’s decision came after Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery had removed him from the first unit of the power play and bumped him down to the third-line center spot.
“It’s a tough one,” MacLellan said. “You watch his progression here over the last two-plus years. Playing hurt, numerous recovery attempts to get it better, and then the hip resurfacing. It’s been a long process that I think has been hard on him mentally and emotionally. It’s been hard to see him go through all of that stuff and then make the decision the other day.
“A lot of respect for the person first of all and the player. I don’t know if we can describe how much he’s meant to the organization. He’s the guy that’s driven the culture here for a long time, pretty much his whole career here – 17 years. The way he handles himself off the ice and on the ice, I think that’s a big part of our success and our culture that we’ve had over the years here.
The plan is for the Capitals to eventually place Backstrom, who remains under contract through the 2024-25 campaign with a $9.2 million annual cap hit, on long-term injured reserve.
“We haven’t talked about it yet but eventually we’ll get him to LTIR and then go from there,” MacLellan said. “I think we just need a little time to have things sort themselves out here. We’ll make that decision eventually.”
The Capitals will look internally for players to replace Backstrom’s role on the team with Connor McMichael shifting to center for the long haul.
“I think we have some young players that are breaking through here hopefully,” MacLellan said. “There’s opportunity to step in and find a role and contribute to the team’s success. We’ll look internally for now and give opportunities to our young guys.”
In the end though, there was a sadness and a compassion for a player that has meant so much to the Capitals.
“It’s been a long process for him to get through the injury,” MacLellan said. “I think it’s been hard for him and he made a hard decision.”
Headline photo: Alan Dobbins/RMNB
