Bruce Boudreau believes Nicklas Backstrom will eventually be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
During an appearance on NHL Network’s NHL Tonight with host Tony Luftman, the former Washington Capitals head coach recently shared his thoughts on the upcoming candidacy of several former NHLers, making it clear that he would love to see Backstrom receive hockey’s highest individual honor.
“I, certainly, for me, would love to see Nick get in,” Boudreau said. “I’d love to see Ryan Getzlaf get in and Eric Staal – three guys that I’ve coached that are all on the potential list. And I mean, three of the greatest people you ever want to meet.
“I think all three deserve it, as well as I think Rod Brind’Amour deserves it. If you look at his hockey career, let alone his coaching career, what he’s done, to me, there’s no reason that he shouldn’t be in. Next year should be the year.”
Boudreau coached Backstrom with the Capitals for parts of five seasons from 2007-08 to 2011-12, the first five years of the Swedish pivot’s career. During those campaigns, Backstrom quickly established himself as one of the NHL’s premier playmakers, becoming a foundational piece of the Caps alongside Alex Ovechkin.
Backstrom finished his NHL career with 1,033 points (271 goals, 762 assists) in 1,105 regular-season games, ending his stint with the Capitals as the franchise leader in assists and ranking second in points, only to Ovechkin. He also helped Washington win its first Stanley Cup in 2018, posting 23 points (5g, 18a) in 20 postseason games.
Among all-time NHL players, Backstrom is one of just 103 to reach the 1,000-point mark, ranking 91st overall in league history. Among just Swedish players, he ranks sixth all time in scoring and the five players ahead of him, Mats Sundin, Daniel Alfredsson, Nicklas Lidstrom, Henrik Sedin, and Daniel Sedin, have all already been inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Top 10 Swedish NHL players in career points
| Rank | Player | GP | G | A | Points | Hockey Hall of Fame |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mats Sundin | 1,346 | 564 | 785 | 1,349 | Yes (2012) |
| 2 | Daniel Alfredsson | 1,246 | 444 | 713 | 1,157 | Yes (2022) |
| 3 | Nicklas Lidstrom | 1,564 | 264 | 878 | 1,142 | Yes (2015) |
| 4 | Henrik Sedin | 1,330 | 240 | 830 | 1,070 | Yes (2022) |
| 5 | Daniel Sedin | 1,306 | 393 | 648 | 1,041 | Yes (2022) |
| 6 | Nicklas Backstrom | 1,105 | 271 | 762 | 1,033 | No |
| 7 | Henrik Zetterberg | 1,082 | 337 | 623 | 960 | No |
| 8 | Erik Karlsson | 1,177 | 218 | 736 | 954 | No (active) |
| 9 | Peter Forsberg | 708 | 249 | 636 | 885 | Yes (2014) |
| 10 | Markus Naslund | 1,117 | 395 | 474 | 869 | No |
The major knock against Backstrom’s case for induction is that he never took home any major individual awards. However, he did win the Cup with the Capitals, two gold medals for Sweden at the World Championship, and a silver medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics. He also provided the most assists, 279, to Ovechkin as the Russian winger eventually surpassed Wayne Gretzky as the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer.
Backstrom played his final NHL game on October 29, 2023, stepping away from the Capitals due to recurring issues with his surgically repaired hip. He sat out the rest of his Capitals contract, including the remainder of the 2023-24 season and all of the 2024-25 season, before returning to hockey with his hometown team, Brynäs IF, in the SHL for the 2025-26 campaign.
Because he played in the SHL last year, Backstrom must wait until 2029 to be eligible for induction into the Hall of Fame, as all candidates must have concluded their playing career for at least three seasons before being elected.
