Nicklas Backstrom is set to be on Brynäs’ roster for the 2026-27 SHL season, but it’s unknown if he will ever take the ice for his hometown club during the campaign.
Brynäs announced Friday that the two parties have chosen to take the option in Backstrom’s contract for another season, but revealed that the 38-year-old center is dealing with some “injury problems” that will keep him out for an undetermined amount of time.
“Nicklas has been struggling with injury problems during the spring that require continued rehabilitation with an unknown end date, which makes his status uncertain for the upcoming season,” the team’s press release reads. “Brynäs IF will therefore give Nicklas the time required and at the same time build the squad based on the possibility that he may not play.”
Backstrom joined Brynäs this past season after spending years dealing with chronic hip issues, including an extended absence from the NHL’s Washington Capitals after undergoing hip resurfacing surgery in 2022. The slick Swede recorded 30 points (3g, 27a) in 45 games in his return SHL campaign, and added two assists in five playoff games.
After Brynäs were eliminated in five games by the Växjö Lakers in the quarterfinals of the league’s postseason, Backstrom was unsure about the future of his playing career.
“It’s a tough question right now,” Backstrom said then. “We have to evaluate, and then we’ll see what the management wants. Then it remains to be seen. Now I’m just going home to my family.”
Brynäs played the 2025-26 season with a veteran-laden roster full of many former NHL standouts, including familiar faces from Backstrom’s past with the Washington Capitals: Johan Larsson, Axel Jonsson-Fjallby, Michal Kempny, and Christian Djoos.
For now, the team plans to build another competitive team with Backstrom on the periphery and hopes he can get healthy enough to be a nice surprise at some point during the year.
“Nicklas means an enormous amount to Brynäs IF,” the team’s sports director, Johan Alcén, said in a statement. “Everyone knows that, and we will give him the time and support required in his rehabilitation. There is no given timeframe for this, but at the same time, we of course take responsibility for building a strong squad where Nicklas can be seen as a bonus next season.”
Brynäs also stated that they have begun collaborating with a specialist clinic in Stockholm, which will work with the team’s existing rehab team to try to get Backstrom back on the ice.
Backstrom’s contract does not extend past next year, so the 2026-27 season could be his last as an active player.
