Center still recovering from Jan. concussion
Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom skated on his own for the second consecutive day at the organization’s headquarters at Kettler Iceplex on Wednesday.
It is the first time since Jan. 5 and 6 that the 24-year-old has taken to the ice two days in a row. Backstrom has missed 32 games now with concussion symptoms. He tried to skate for about five minutes before a practice Jan. 23 before leaving the ice. Backstrom’s injury was the result of an elbow from Rene Bourque, then of the Calgary Flames, in a Jan. 3 game at Verizon Center. Bourque was suspended five games for the hit.
Backstrom spoke to the team’s website Wednesday and said he felt “good” after practicing in full pads for about 20 minutes.
“I’ve been improving a lot,” Backstrom told the website. “I don’t have the same feeling as I had from when I first got the hit.”
Backstrom just returned this week from an extended visit home to his native Sweden to see friends and family. It was a mental health break designed to get him away from the day-to-day frustrations of being around the rink but unable to make progress toward a return. There’s no word on a possible return date. Backstrom has yet to be cleared for full-contact practice.
“If Nicky Backstrom came back, it certainly would improve our chances of being able to win a [Stanley] Cup,” Caps general manager George McPhee said Feb. 27. “We can make the playoffs with this team, and if he comes back, we can beat anybody in this [Eastern] Conference.”
