Washington looking at two names as potential replacement for Nicklas Backstrom
One thing is for sure, a guy like Nicklas Backstrom is tough to replace. The Washington Capitals star is headed back to Sweden for 'hip-resurfacing' surgery. It's not quite a hip replacement, but it's not far off, and Backstrom will be on the sidelines for a long time. In fact, there's no guarantee he'll ever play again although he says he's optimistic about the chances. For the Caps, it leaves a huge hole to fill. With a guy like Alexander Ovechkin on your team, you essentially try to compete without rebuilding for as long as you can. That means Caps GM Brian MacLellan has to try to find a replacement on the trade or free agent markets. According to Sportsnet Insider Elliotte Friedman, the two names being connected to Washington are Nazem Kadri of the Colorado Avalanche and J.T. Miller of the Vancouver Canucks.
"The team I've kind of wondered about, I think a lot of people are wondering about now...Washington lost Backstrom. Nobody seems to know what the timeline here is. What are they going to do? I've heard Kadri's name connected to the Capitals. I've heard Miller's name connected to the Capitals. I think Washington's just starting to figure out what are we going to do here? I wouldn't be surprised if he's the kind of guy that's on their radar," said Friedman while appearing as a guest on Donnie and Dali - The Team (you can listen to the full interview here).
Miller just had a career year in just about every major category, scoring 32 goals and 67 assists for 99 points. It's perfect timing for the 29-year-old as he finished the final year of a five-year deal that carried a cap hit of $5.25 per season. His next one will no doubt be bigger.
At 31, Kadri's a bit older than Miller but should have a few years left in the tank yet. Kadri can add an offensive punch, and a team with both he and Tom Wilson on it will drive opponents bonkers. Kadri is currently making $4.5 million per season, which is an absolute steal on the current market.
Bottom line, either of these would be a good option for the Capitals. It depends on how much they want to spend. The opening of free agency on July 13th should be an interesting day.
| POLL | ||
JUIN 22 | 1 ANSWERS Washington looking at two names as potential replacement for Nicklas Backstrom If you had your choice at the same price, Kadri or Miller? | ||
| Kadri | 0 | 0 % |
| Miller | 0 | 0 % |
| Neither | 0 | 0 % |
| LIST OF POLLS | ||
| G | A | PTS | ||
| Zachary Werenski | 2 | 3 | 5 | |
| Sean Monahan | 1 | 3 | 4 | |
| Jesper Bratt | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| Frederick Gaudreau | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| Jack Hughes | - | 3 | 3 | |
| Nikita Kucherov | - | 3 | 3 | |
| Mackenzie Weegar | - | 3 | 3 | |
| Kent Johnson | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Alexander Wennberg | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Mitchell Chaffee | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Anthony Cirelli | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Matthew Coronato | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Marcus Foligno | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Nick Foligno | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Conor Geekie | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Brandon Hagel | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Stefan Noesen | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Corey Perry | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Igor Sharangovich | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Dmitry Voronkov | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Complete stats | ||||
| STANDINGS 2024-2025 | ||||||
TOP 10 | GP | W | L | OL | PTS | |
Jets | 19 | 16 | 3 | - | 32 | |
Wild | 19 | 13 | 3 | 3 | 29 | |
Hurricanes | 19 | 14 | 5 | - | 28 | |
Devils | 22 | 13 | 7 | 2 | 28 | |
Capitals | 19 | 13 | 5 | 1 | 27 | |
Golden Knights | 20 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 26 | |
Maple Leafs | 20 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 26 | |
Rangers | 18 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 25 | |
Panthers | 20 | 12 | 7 | 1 | 25 | |
Flames | 20 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 25 | |
| Conference | Cumulative | ||||||