We were not a very good team. That was by design. We had a poor record. We got to pick high in the draft for a few seasons. We drafted Alex Ovechkin and we drafted Nicklas Backstrom.
Nicklas is a pillar of our rebuild. He is a wonderful two way player and a great person with enormous upside and sublime skills. He plays defense well. He is all about the team. In an odd way, his single biggest issue is that he isn’t selfish enough. He has a great shot and I believe he can be a consistent 25 goal scorer.
Nicklas is a winner as well. He comes from a very strong family environment. He is very respectful of his coaches and his teammates. He is a fast learner and he is a strong and effective leader. He is durable. In fact, he has never missed a game due to injury.
He loves our community for its cosmopolitan flair. He is best friends with many of his teammates. He embraces our fans and he gets goose bumps when you are Rocking the Red.
I am very fond of Nicklas and his family. We are fortunate to have been able to draft him; help develop his skills; and to see him blossom into a star player. It will be a joy to watch him play on our team for a long, long time. This is a total feel good story.
Just out of curiousity…he states that the team was not good by design. What does that mean? They planned to have consecutive bad years of play so they could draft well and pick up either prospective talent, or already astonishing talent? That sounds like something the Penguins have been blamed for, or any other team that has done horrendously in any major professional sport on a consistent basis.
Backstrom is the ying to OV’s yang? or should that be “yang” to OV’s “ying”? – whatever – it’s a perfect compliment to each other.
Oh! And to add – I am a teacher in NE DC. My students knew nothing about hockey until they got me as a teacher!
I love that they have athletes who are successful to really look up to when often times these students lead lives that are so difficult at home.
And they are now big fans and love to rock the red on dress down days!
I love reading articles like these. It always shows how down to earth these players are.
I am originally from upstate NY, hockey country, so my love of hockey runs deep.
And I have to agree…I even get goosebumps when Verizon Center starts rockin’. I think it’s an amazing thing to be a part of and what a great thing for DC. The NHL and Caps are really one of a kind – really down to earth people in all aspects of the game and really focused on just playing the game. I love it.
Nicklas is a great guy. He is easy to talk to, funny, and very polite. Even during the Six Flag event, he was the last player to sign autographs. As long as there were people in line he kept signing, not too many guys like that. He is all about his fans. His mother is hilarious and has definitely raised a great son. I think he is one of those players that wants everyone on the team to do well. I wish he would be a little more selfish too, but I don’t think it’s in his DNA to be selfish. I hope that the Capitals keep him for a long time and that we, in DC, get the opportunity to see him grow and become the great player we know he will be. He has a long career in the NHL.
Well said Ted, but….
There goes the Salary Cap!