Caps forward Nicklas Backstrom again did not participate in the team’s morning skate. He has missed five games after taking an elbow to the head in a Jan. 3 game against Calgary and has not been seen on the ice since a Jan. 6 practice in San Jose.
“Nick’s doing really well. Feels good,” Washington general manager George McPhee said. “I’m, I guess, happy to report that he’s progressing.”
McPhee said “not necessarily” when asked if Backstrom would be held out until after the NHL All-Star break at the end of this month. “Whenever he’s ready to get going we’ll get him going. But obviously we’re going to be real careful because we want this to be a one-time thing and something we never have to worry about again.”
Not much new there. Until Backstrom can pass the neurological testing mandated after any suspected concussion he won’t be on the ice. That could be tomorrow. That could be several more weeks.
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