WASHINGTON — Center Nicklas Backstrom will be with the Washington Capitals for five more years, and arguably for the rest of his NHL career, after signing a contract extension worth $46 million.
Backstrom, who has been with the Caps' since 2006 when he was drafted by the franchise, is the all-time franchise leader in assists (668) and one of just two players in franchise history to record at least 900 points with the Capitals.
"Probably a little stubborn at times," is how Capitals General Manager Brian MacLellan described Nicklas Backstrom during contract negotiation, which the 32-year-old did without an agent and by himself.
Backstrom's last contract was in 2010 when he was 22-years-old. At the time of this contract, Backstrom was one of only three players in NHL history, which includes Wayne Gretzky and Peter Stastny, to have 55 or more assists in each of their first three seasons in the league.
Bacstrom is in his 13th season in the National Hockey League. During his time in the NHL, Backstrom has been an All-Star once (2016) and was part of Washington's 2018 Stanley Cup run.
Coming into the NHL before the 2007 season, Backstrom was ranked as one of the best players in his class.
Backstrom has also played with Sweden's National Hockey Team in both the 2010 and 2014 Olympics.