Capitals Star Reveals He's Dealt With Chronic Injuries for Nearly Ten Years

Last season, Nicklas Backstrom only played 39 games in which he scored 21 points. He decided to get hip surgery in an effort to stop an issue that has been lingering since 2015.

Since 2015, Backstrom has put up strong numbers with 5 seasons of scoring at over a 70-point pace. To know that he has been injured nearly the entire time puts things into perspective.

His best season came in 2009-10 when he scored 33 goals and 101 points. Since then, he has yet to put up a 100-point season but that comes with some weaker Capitals teams and Backstrom's injury issues.

The Capitals are at a crossroads where they have a lot of older players who want to stay competitive and a mix of young talent who will break into the NHL soon.

They have players like Backstrom, Alex Ovechkin, TJ Oshie, and John Carlson who are all nearing the end of their careers but can still play at an elite level.

They also have prospects like Ryan Leonard, Andrew Cristall, and Ivan Miroschnichenko who will all eventually break into the NHL and hopefully turn into elite players.

It seems like they will need their older core to not regress too far and have their young talent progress quickly if they ever want to win another Stanley Cup with Ovechkin and Backstrom.

As read on Markerzone - Superstar Reveals He's Been Injured Constantly For Nearly a Decade