Capitals forwards Nicklas Backstrom and Tom Wilson set to return from injury

Mike Gould
Mike Gould
Capitals forwards Nicklas Backstrom and Tom Wilson set to return from injury
Credit: Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports

Nicklas Backstrom and Tom Wilson will make their season debuts for the Washington Capitals against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday, the Capitals announced.

Backstrom, 35, hasn’t played since Game 6 of the Capitals’ first-round playoff loss to the Florida Panthers in 2022. The veteran centre underwent relatively uncommon hip resurfacing surgery in the summer, raising doubts about whether he’d be able to return to the NHL.

Only one other player — longtime Florida Panthers and Phoenix Coyotes defenseman Ed Jovanovski — has ever been able to play NHL games again after undergoing the resurfacing surgery. Backstrom is set to make that two.

Wilson, 28, will also make his season debut on Sunday after spending months rehabbing a torn ACL he suffered in that playoff series against the Panthers last year.

Both Backstrom and Wilson won the Stanley Cup with the Capitals in 2018 and have established themselves over the years as key core pieces alongside Alex Ovechkin. They’ll surely give the Capitals — currently fourth in the Metropolitan Division but on a scorching hot streak — another big boost.

To help accommodate the returns of Backstrom and Wilson, the Capitals placed injured defenseman John Carlson on long-term injured reserve and assigned forward Aliaksei Protas to the American Hockey League.

Wilson set new career-best marks in the 2021–22 season with 24 goals and 52 points in 78 games played. He added another goal in Game 1 against the Panthers before suffering his severe injury.

As for Backstrom, he registered six goals and 31 points in 47 games with the Capitals during the regular season and chipped in another six points (two goals, four assists) in six playoff games.

Backstrom has two years remaining after this one on his current contract, which carries a $9.2 million cap hit. Wilson is signed through 2024 at an average annual value of $5.167 million.

The Capitals will host the Blue Jackets at Capital One Arena in D.C. at 5:00 p.m. ET on Sunday.

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