Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
NHL Power Rankings: #6
The NHL’s reigning assist champion, Nicklas Backstrom of the Washington Capitals, is number six on our list of the best Eastern Conference centers. Backstrom is one of the most underrated centers in the NHL. Despite being one of the best centers in the world, he rarely gets mentioned in the “best players in the world” conversation when he really should be in it. There are various theories as to why he’s so underrated. I think it’s because the spotlight tends to gravitate towards charismatic players like Alex Ovechkin and not towards more reserved players like Backstrom.
Backstrom doesn’t have great possession stats. As someone who watches every Caps game, that’s more due to the complete incompetence of Dale Hunter and Adam Oates than Backstrom himself. Despite the Oates Caps struggling mightily at even strength (and Backstrom playing two of his last three seasons under him), Backstrom still ranks 10th among Eastern Conference centers in even strength points over the past three seasons with 94. He is also third in overall points with 205.
Backstrom’s known for his passing, and rightfully so. Over the past three seasons, he has 64 even strength assists (tied for fourth among centers) and second in overall assists with 161. He isn’t much of a goal scorer, but keep in mind that he plays with the best goal scorer in the world. Deferring to him is usually a pretty wise decision.
A lot of people say that Backstrom is a “passenger” because he relies on Ovechkin. That couldn’t be further from the truth because Ovechkin struggles away from Backstrom. To be fair, Backstrom struggles away from his Russian buddy as well. Perhaps that’s a sign that they should never be separated.
Next: Number 5