The 2021-22 season is definitely not Nicklas Backstrom's season. Just back from a hip injury that kept him out of the game since early October, the Swede was just placed on the COVID-19 protocol list by the Washington Capitals on Friday.
The 33-year-old center remains stuck with only one game played this season. It didn't take him long to get back to his old ways, though, as he picked up an assist on captain Alex Ovechkin's opening goal against the Blackhawks on Wednesday.
Backstrom is one of the many unlucky ones to have his name placed on his team's COVID-19 list. In his absence, the Capitals are still having great success, sitting atop the Metropolitan Division, tied with the Carolina Hurricanes and the New York Rangers.
