A key player of the Washington Capitals, Nicklas Backstrom, has recently opened up about his prolonged struggle with injuries spanning nearly a decade.
Backstrom's Ongoing Struggles
In the last season, Backstrom's game appearances were very limited, in which he only participated in 39 of them, during which he amassed 21 points. In an attempt to address a lingering issue originating from 2015, he underwent hip surgery.
Despite his physical challenges since 2015, Backstrom's performance remained stellar, maintaining a scoring pace exceeding 70 points over five seasons. This revelation of his enduring injury gives a new appreciation of his tenacity.
Backstrom's pinnacle season was easily in 2009-10 when he tallied a whopping 33 goals and 101 points. However, since then, he has yet to achieve a 100-point season, due in part to subpar Capitals' team performances and his ongoing injury problems.
Crossroads for the Capitals
The Capitals find themselves in a delicate position, balancing a roster of seasoned players keen on maintaining competitiveness, and a pool of budding talent eager to make their NHL debut. Veteran players like Backstrom, Alex Ovechkin, TJ Oshie, and John Carlson are in the twilight of their careers but continue to display more than stellar gameplay.
Simultaneously, the Capitals' bench boasts promising prospects like Ryan Leonard, Andrew Cristall, and Ivan Miroschnichenko. These young talents are on the brink of breaking into the NHL, with aspirations to evolve into top-tier players.
The team's future success, potentially another Stanley Cup victory with Ovechkin and Backstrom, hinges on their seasoned stars' ability to sustain their form and the swift progression of their emerging talent.