Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom strode into the team’s dressing room at Kettler Iceplex on Monday morning with a big grin on his face. And why not? The 22-year-old star now has all the security in the world after signing a 10-year contract worth $67 million. Come to think of it, Caps general manager George McPhee was all smiles, too. He locked up one of the NHL’s best players at its most critical position for a salary-cap hit of just $6.7 million per year. The deal runs through 2020 — escalating from $6 million in the first year to $8 million at the end of the decade. So any pressure living up to that shiny new deal?
“I think last year we had some pressure and we had a great team,” Backstrom said. “Everybody wants to win. That is just the pressure we are putting on ourselves. The pressure from the media is okay, but we have high expectations for ourselves, too. I don’t think it is going to be anything different. We want to win the [Stanley] Cup.”
