Former Capitals star Nicklas Backstrom to resume career in Sweden
One of the premier playmakers of this era is heading home.
On Monday, Brynäs IF of the Swedish Hockey League announced that the team has signed longtime NHLer Nicklas Bäckström.
Välkommen hem till Gävle och Brynäs IF, Nicklas Bäckström! 🤝✅
Efter en lång och framgångsrik NHL-karriär står det nu klart att Nicklas Bäckström är klar för en återkomst i Brynäströjan.
🗞️ Läs mer på https://t.co/MR7GswpDsO pic.twitter.com/Hd1zbvCBQT
“I have always felt that I would like to represent Brynäs again someday if the opportunity arose,” Bäckström said in a release. “I have long had a great drive to return to Brynäs. After undergoing rehab and being away from the game for almost two seasons, I feel very charged and full of energy to contribute to the club’s future successes.”
Bäckström became available to return to his former team after his most recent contract with the Washington Capitals expired on July 1. The 37-year-old didn’t play the entire 2024-25 season, as he remained on long-term injured reserve after stepping away from hockey due to lingering issues regarding a previous hip injury that was surgically repaired in 2022.
The injury limited the Swedish forward to just 39 games during the 2022-23 season, and eight the following season before taking a leave of absence in November 2023.
In his prime, Bäckström was far and away one of, if not the top, setup guys in the NHL. Playing alongside the greatest goal scorer in league history, Alex Ovechkin, the Gävle native piled on the points during a time when the Capitals were a fierce offensive force. Bäckström registered at least 50 assists nine times across 17 seasons with the franchise, hitting 60 helpers on five occasions. His best individual season came in 2009-10, when he set career highs in goals (33), assists (68) and points (101), finishing fourth in league scoring.
Despite the individual numbers, Bäckström’s crowning achievement came in 2018, when he helped Washington capture the franchise’s first Stanley Cup.
Bäckström leaves the Capitals second to Ovechkin in games played (1,105) and points (1,033), fourth in goals (271), while, unsurprisingly, leading the franchise in assists (762). He also posted 114 points in 139 postseason games.
Prior to heading to the NHL, Bäckström spent three seasons with Brynäs, his hometown club. He made a name for himself by being named the Elitserien Rookie of the Year, putting himself on the map as the youngest player to represent the Swedish senior national team at the 2006 IIHF Men’s World Championship, where the team won gold.