*Photo from Washington Hockey Now*
One of the key parts of the Washington Capitals is in limbo. Capitals C Nicklas Backstrom underwent left hip resurfacing surgery on Friday, according to an announcement by the team.
This type of procedure has no set timeline for recovery, but the Capitals said Backstrom would begin his "lengthy recovery process" immediately. It's also not Backstrom's first time undergoing hip surgery. Backstrom had a arthroscopic surgery on his hip in 2015, but this surgery is considered more serious. He also missed time in the 2021-2022 season due to a hip injury.
Hip resurfacing surgery has a mixed track record among NHL players. Defenseman Ed Jovanovski was able to return in the 2013-2014 season for the Florida Panthers after having the surgery, but Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Kesler had the same surgery after the 2018-2019 season, and was unable to resume his playing career.
Currently, Backstrom has 3 seasons and a $9.2 million AAV left on a 5 year contract extension that he signed with the Capitals prior to the shortened 2021 season. Backstrom also has a full no move clause for this season, and a modified no trade clause the final two seasons. The Capitals can free up his salary by placing him on LTIR if he is unable to play, giving them extra cap flexibility.
Last season, Backstrom finished the regular season with 6 goals and 25 assists, with a -8 plus/minus rating while averaging 17:29 of ice time per game, playing in 47 games for the Capitals. He put up two goals and had 4 assists in 6 playoff games for the Capitals, who lost in the first round.
Backstrom has had a lengthy and successful career with the Capitals since being selected in the first round in the 2006 NHL draft. He has reached the 70 point mark in a season 8 times, and is the franchise leader in total assists with 747. He is also second in team history in total points with 1,011, trailing only Alex Ovechkin. He also won the Stanley Cup with the Capitals in the 2017-2018 season.
With Backstrom currently on the shelf, the Capitals center picture currently consists of Evgeny Kuznetsov, Connor McMichael, Lars Eller, and Nic Dowd, barring any additions made in the offseason.
Comments
Post a Comment