The Washington Capitals and center Nicklas Backstrom announced on Wednesday morning that the 35-year-old will step away from the game. He underwent hip resurfacing surgery on June 18, 2022, his second hip procedure in seven years, and missed the first 42 games of the 2022-23 season.
“Given my ongoing injury situation, I decided to take some time and step away from the game. 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,” Backstrom said in a statement released by the team.
“We stand behind Nicklas and will support him throughout this process. We know firsthand how hard he has worked and how determined he is to get back to full health. Our organization stands fully behind him while he takes his leave of absence from the team and takes time to evaluate his current health situation,” GM Brian MacLellan stated.
Nicklas Backstrom let the Caps’ trainers, MacLellan and Carbery know on Monday that his plan was to step away; his body isn’t responding the way he wants it to. He addressed his teammates in the locker room this morning before practice to tell them the news.
— Bailey Johnson (@BaileyAJohnson_) November 1, 2023
Backstrom, the Capitals’ all-time assists leader, has recorded 1,033 points (271g, 762a) in 1,105 career games with Washington. Backstrom ranks second in franchise history in points, games played, power-play points (421) and overtime goals (9), and fourth in goals, power-play goals (86) and game-winning goals (39). Backstrom was drafted by the Capitals in the first round, fourth overall, in the 2006 NHL Draft and is one of two players in franchise history to play 1,000 games with Washington and record 1,000 points.
Backstrom has tallied one assist in eight games this season.
Word is Backstrom will go on IR today. Wouldn’t be a surprise to see him land on LTI at some point in the near future. #Caps
— Tarik El-Bashir (@Tarik_ElBashir) November 1, 2023
If he goes on long-term injured reserve, Washington could have a spare $9.2 million in NHL salary cap space. Backstrom currently has two years left on his contract.
#ALLCAPS will likely place Nicklas Backstrom on Long Term Injured Reserve and add his $9.2M cap hit to their existing LTI Salary pool.
This will also more easily facilitate the activation Max Pacioretty and Joel Edmundson off LTIR when both players are ready to return.
— CapFriendly (@CapFriendly) November 1, 2023
Washington, who is 4-3-1 and has won three straight games, hosts the New York Islanders on Thursday night (7 PM ET, Monumental Sports Network in-market, ESPN+ out-of-market).
By Harrison Brown
We love you Nicky!
Not a shock, but still a shock to hear. God speed Nicky.
Why can’t they put him on LTIR like Canadians did for Price?
It sounds like that he is stepping away permanently, ie retirement. You don’t put retirees on LTIR. Best for him and the team that he retire; just a shame that he did not do this back in June! When he was good he was very good.
If he retires (as opposed to LTIR), he forfeits salary. He deserves every last penny in that contract for what he has done for us, especially given how far below market value most of his AAV numbers have been over the years.
No he doesn’t! A man’s salary is for what he does, not what he used to do. Nick (I love him) has been well compensated for his work (> $94M) . That kind of thinking is what has gotten us into this situation.
“A man’s salary is for what he does…”
Not necessarily. Contracts in the NHL are guaranteed, unlike, say, the NFL. So if a player doesn’t break the contract, he’ll get paid. A lot of players (cough) Mantha (cough) haven’t earned their salary, but they still get it.
He’s been well compensated, by our standards, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he doesn’t need the money. High taxes, lifestyle, kids’ education, family, can all eat into that, and other things. I’ve known a few wealthy people, and have yet to hear one of them say “I’m too rich”.
I think two things at play. It’s a lot of money to give up. Caps hook him up and put on LTIR and he gets paid and we get Cap Relief. Secondly, there is the OV record, which should happen next year. So they may LTIR him next year as well until it gets close. Maybe he can play and be on the ice for it. Then retires and comes off books. The NHL will let that happen because it is important to (hopefully) the all time goal scorer, a player that could be HoF, and a franchise they like. Or maybe he just retires at the end of the year.
Not all will see it fully but this is culture. Caps are honest. Nick is honest. It gets worked out in a room that nobody sees or hears.
Now here’s an interesting take!
As I understand, they’re gonna be deciding smth soon. Vogel says Mac’s interview is due on Friday where he should explain the course of action. BM is said to be ill now, otherwise it would have been sooner. Hope they work it out well for all sides.
One thing just crossed my mind, though. The wording of Nick’s statement, that he is stepping away from the game (to decide what to do) – does that mix well with the institute of LTIR? Sounds a bit different, maybe even for the League. 🤔
How do you fit Emundson and Pacioretty under the cap, without Backstrom going on LTIR?That’s $3.7 mill, not exactly chicken feed. Right now, you can’t. I think he’s headed for LTIR, unless they can find a taker for Mantha.
Just a thought. Didn’t exactly sound like an “LTIR statement”, was different in essence. May have been impromptu to some extent, but likely still coordinated with the organization. Would the League be OK with someone going on LTIR like this? Does it meet with criteria – “taking a pause from the game”? I don’t know. Again, maybe I’m just overthinking. Let’s see what the GM says next.
I think it was “coach speak”. That is, it was what the media calls what a coach says after a difficult loss. He doesn’t want to speak the truth, but he has to say something, so he gives a convoluted answer, that doesn’t really say much of anything. I think there’s more going on here, than we know about. I think the team knew he wasn’t gonna make a return before the season started. They needed to show the NHL that he was done for, and the PA wants to see him get paid, and the team wants to see his cap hit relieved. So everyone is doing a delicate dance, trying not to say too much, so the illusion that he tried to come back is satisfied, but everyone knew beforehand that he was toast.
It’s a weird situation. That’s how lawyers make their money. C’est la vie.
Perhaps. As you say, lots of things going on behind closed doors.
It is a bit vague. But to me it was key that Nicky said “Given my ongoing injury situation.” Ongoing. That means a medical issue now. This isn’t Thornton retiring due to age. This is something under medical supervision now. That sounds to me like a potential LTIR. But I’m neither a doctor nor a lawyer.
The messaging here is important. And like i mentioned earlier above, I do believe the NHL will give some grace to a player like Backstrom. Wouldn’t even be surprised if the NHL (and/or NHLPA) helped in crafting the announcements.
Would hope that they would give Nicky some respect (great talk by Gabby about Nicky during second intermission last Bears game) but Toronto certainly hasn’t been willing to give Willy ans respect. Sid on the other hand . . .
Yes you do, That’s how Chicago got rid of Seabrook’s contract. They LTIR’ed him and traded him to Tampa. He was never playing another game in the NHL.
Backie just won’t make the retirement official till next summer.
they will, breaks my heart, one of my favorites to ever put on a caps sweater
Nicholas, take your time and figure out what is best for your health and your family. We are grateful for all your years as a Washington Capital. Thanks for bringing us a SC Championship!
Probably one of the most underrated players to ever play the game.
Sorry to hear this however not unexpected. Sorry to say this but his ego in having to play when he should have retired is to blame. Hopefully management does not run out and spent the $9.2 mil but instead brings up another young player to see if they are ready!! thanks Backy for the good times and now go enjoy the rest of your life with your family!
Clown comment….his ego….he is stepping aside while wanting nothing more than to play. As classy as they come and has always been all about the team. I remember Nik in 2016 and 2017 after the seasons ended, nobody took being eliminated more personal than him. He continues to show that he is an incredible human being. Please keep a presence in the DC area and stay with the Caps in some role. The Washington Capitals could not have been represented by a better human for all of these years than Nik!!
Completely agree with you. A clown comment.
As for your clown comment, he knew last year that he could not play the way he did when he was younger and definitely not after the surgery as NO one have ever returned from that surgery. IF it was not ego thinking he could do it what was it? Yes he was a good rep for the Caps however his time had come and gone even before the surgery. Not said nasty but go home, be with your family and the things you support in Sweden and have a wonderful life after hockey!
HAs
I’ll join the chorus here, and agree, it was a clown comment. He hasn’t retired, not due to his ego, but because of a little thing known as $$$$$. He’s still owed about 17 million of those. If he retires, he doesn’t get them. Would you walk away from 17 million clams? I don’t know you, but I’d hazard a guess, and say you wouldn’t.
Nick was underpaid for years. He deserves this. Equating Nick with a big ego is one of the silliest comments I’ve read in any hockey blog.
Here’s your red nose, bozo. You earned it.
Dear Nicky Backstrom, you’re the best 1C the Caps ever drafted. It’s been a blast watching you control the game all over the ice. I watched Bengt Gustafsson (he was also fantastic) and all the others—you won the Stanley Cup! We were so lucky to have you and we’ll always love you, man!
To me, this play best symbolizes the entire Ovechkin-Backstrom era.
And what a camera angle.
Duo!
This is the decision he should have already made. His health and his family are more important than the game. From what I have read, he appears to not have wasted his income so finances should not be a problem. Enjoy life — don’t threaten your mobility.
Totally agree and don’t let ego in thinking you can play after resting for 3 or 4 month let you come back.
Love your Fyre but disagree. He owed it to himself to try and have a full summer and give it a go. Caps owed it to a legend to give it a go. I’m sure there was an agreement that if it wasn’t working a call would be made at a certain point. Sure purely on putting the best team on the ice, it hurts, but that price is worth it. He goes to LTIR and gets paid. We have flexibility but don’t need to be reckless. There will be more closed door conversations about next year. But culture is hard at work here and I like it all the way around.
It is his call. He felt he could get back to his pre-injury performance level and wanted to try (I think too much of Nicky to feel it was all $$$). As Rich said, it is very difficult for dedicated players to retire in any sport (look at Andy Murray or Rafael Nadal).
That being said, I did not agree with his decision at the time. I felt that this was a hill too steep for him to climb. Reading now his comments, I feel that he has re-injured himself, that he might be in actual pain. I had thought it was just that he couldn’t reach his desired performance level. But reading about him saying “Given my ongoing injury situation” that just doesn’t sound like performance. That sounds like pain and/or new damage. If he has re-injured his hips, I feel my comment is more than justified.
But it is his body, his family, his decision.
A lot of people surmise it is money. That is secondary like you and Andrew said. He wants to believe he can play the game (and wants to). That is why he owed it to himself. Caps gave him grace. I’m not mad about any of that.
We need McMichael to play center and now he can. There is youth to bring up. We didn’t need that cap space over the summer. Room for Patches and Edmundson. We have a lot of options now with Hershey players and can make smart moves as we get to deadline.
Thanks NB19 for great Caps memories for me over the years!
Thanks Backy for a fan fun filled career! You never
cheated the game.
This has to be an incredibly difficult decision for him. It is easy for us to sit at a keyboard and say, this decision should have been made last year. I know, I did it myself. But with professional athletes, their competitive nature always gets in the way when its time to evaluate …is it time to hang up the skates? We have no idea what has taken place for Backy to make this decision. And to be honest, I’m not sure exactly what decision he has made. Is he retiring? Is he going on LTIR to see if he feels better at some point?
We also don’t know what has happened that has made him come to this decision.
We don’t know whether this is a result of a discussion between Backy and the GM. We don’t know whether there was a discussion Between Backy and Carbs. We don’t know whether the last practice that Carbs had Backy and CMac alternating at the 3C spot had anything to do with it. We don’t know whether family pressure has lead to this decision. We don’t know whether Backy has been doing some soul searching with his production over the first 8 games and isn’t happy with his performance. The only thing we do know is that in the short term it does not appear that Backy will be suiting up anytime soon.
This guy has been one of the best players the Caps have ever drafted. Fun to watch, fun to listen to in interviews, and if he has an self serving ego, I have never seen it. So, I wish Backy the best in whatever he decides to do going forward. I do hope that management does not just let him drift away from the organization. We have a ton of young talent waiting, and learning, at various levels to get their turn in a Caps jersey. What a great mentor he could be for those guys. Negotiate a new non player contract and have Backy work with the future of the Caps, if he is willing to do so! Just my opinion.
I no longer criticize any pro sports player for retiring before being carried off the field of battle on a stretcher. For example, just last month, former Patriots linebacker Chase Winovich (28) announced that he is retiring from his NFL playing career. “The time has come for me to serve the universe in other ways,” Winovich wrote in his message.
I wish 19 the best in life and thx for the great memories. My calculation Caps would have around 7M of Salary Cap. That is a lot of leverage BMAC has now.
Osh knows that his battered body is on its last hockey legs. I wish he could modify his play to fit his age and punishment but alas he knows only one way — 100%.
You could it feel coming lately, through some of Carbs’s comments. Felt like it would come to this sooner rather than later. Fans’ support HAS started wavering lately, to put it mildly. Might have overstayed somewhat, but it’s always hard to hang up the skates after an illustrious career. Now let’s see how mgmt works it out for the best of the roster and team performance. All the best to Backy, rest is much deserved.
Anyone who is criticizing him for not retiring at the end of last year is just Monday-morning quarterbacking. He had to try to return, and he earned the right to try. He’s figured out early enough in the season that it’s not working out and made the call. Had he lingered all season and then called it quits, then you could call him selfish. But we are 8 games into the season – maybe he hasn’t played well, but he has not single-handedly cost us a game this season and therefore does not deserve a lot of the criticism he’s getting.
Nicky has always been my fave player in the Ovi era, what a great guy, unassuming, a quiet leader on the ice and the locker room. We’ve been lucky to see him be an elite center and setting up Ovi and everyone else. It’s sad to see that it’s his hip that will end his career, but I hope he’s at peace with it. He gave it his all to come back, but now it’s time to think about his health and life after hockey.
I hope he stays on with the Caps in some capacity—special scout in Sweden/Europe? Thanks for all the great years, Nick, thru the bad times and the good times!
I now can respect Backstrom again, he came back, tried to make it work and just like everyone was observing, it was not. Dude never has to work another day in his life if he does not want to. Go be with your family Backstrom.
Now on to more pressing matters…..how much do Caps fans trust the last name Nylander?
If you’re proposing a trade for William…no!
He’ll be too expensive. One trade that makes sense is for Calgary’s Lindholm. He doesn’t want to be there, we have a spot open. If he’s not too expensive I’d do it. Selke nominee, can contribute some points. Mantha, Lapierre, and a 2nd.
Where from cometh the money for such a character? Backy’s not yet on LTIR, regular period for buyouts is long past. And what would such a fine, highly demanding gentleman do? Do we need a C or RW more now? 🤔
Thank You for everything Backy! All-time great Capital, future HOFer, and wonderful human being. Regardless of whether he comes back or not, he can be proud of what he has accomplished. This franchise owes him so much. I know some people were hoping he’d be traded away or convinced to retire, but it’s impossible to see him in anything but a Caps sweater. He’s earned the right to retire here. I do feel for him. He deserves to go out on his own terms, and he’s battled through grueling injuries and career threatening surgeries just to continue playing the sport he loves. That in of itself is a testament to his greatness and dedication.
All that being said, we all knew this day would come sooner or later. He just hasn’t been the same the last few years. From a purely on-the-ice standpoint this may honestly be addition by subtraction. CMM can finally slot in as the full-time 3C which should be a nice boost to the bottom 6, and now sliding in Pacioretty will be much easier once he’s ready. I wonder who will fill in at LW for the time being. Most likely Snively will get called up, but I could also see Alex Limoges get the nod. I know this may not be the time or place, but it is important to consider the ramifications of Backstrom stepping away. We talked all offseason about getting younger and faster, and now we can do that.
Sorry to see it end this way for Nicky. But I’m glad he tried to return this year when he had a normal summer of training rather than rehab. He owed it to himself to give it a try for coming back. But we don’t want him to jeopardize his health permanently for hockey.
Godspeed, Nicky, in whatever you do. We loved having you with the team.
Protas, Lapierre and Mantha for Lindholm
Dear Nicky from a long life Caps fan, where do I start ?? Man what a ride it has been if this indeed is the end of the line …. I can still remember the day the Caps took you 4th overall in 06′ man what a day it was… I knew all along you were the perfect fit to play along side Ovie.. and what pure joy it it has been to have been there to witness this incredible journey over the past 16 years plus.. The absolute HEART BREAK throughout the years in coming up short in the play offs year after year after year but hey you boys stuck to you’re guns and battled you’re asses off and brought the CUP HOME in Summer 2018 .. That was a heck of a day.. I can remember the Parade like it was yesterday.. You Ovie Oshie guzzling beer like there was no tomorrow.. A young Vrana and Bura running through the town like they owned it.. Barry Trotz up on stage dancing having fun not giving AF….A day I will never forget ..And NO CAPS fan will forget.. Then the disappointments in the playoffs started again .. Then the injuries…that dang Hip won’t stop nagging you .. We can all see it ..we can see the work and sacrifices you have done to TRY to be the Old Backy .. If its not in the cards its OK , you’re 36 man go enjoy the money you’ve earned with you’re beautiful family.. You DO NOT owe anything else to the city you’re teammates or us the Fans .. We Owe you a THANK YOU Mr. Backstrom because watching watching #19  on the ice together has been nothing short of magical and special over these past 16 plus years.. And it will.never be the same again…. If this indeed it WE LOVE YOU BACKY !!! #19
Glad to Win back [Ex] .. ..via [[ Dr.m a c ]] ‘ ‘ y a ho o…. c o m,,,
Awesome!!