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Washington Capitals: Top 5 Offseason Predictions

By Michael Marzzacco

ARLINGTON, VA - JUNE 18:Washington Capitals General Manager Brian MacLellan announces the resignation of head coach Barry Trotz at Kettler Capitals Iceplex less than two weeks after the team won the Stanley Cup June 18, 2018 in Arlington, VA.(Photo by Katherine Frey/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, VA - JUNE 18:Washington Capitals General Manager Brian MacLellan announces the resignation of head coach Barry Trotz at Kettler Capitals Iceplex less than two weeks after the team won the Stanley Cup June 18, 2018 in Arlington, VA.(Photo by Katherine Frey/The Washington Post via Getty Images) /
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WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 20: Nicklas Backstrom #19 of the Washington Capitals celebrates after scoring a goal against the Carolina Hurricanes in the second period in Game Five of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Capital One Arena on April 20, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 20: Nicklas Backstrom #19 of the Washington Capitals celebrates after scoring a goal against the Carolina Hurricanes in the second period in Game Five of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Capital One Arena on April 20, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

The Washington Capitals will re-sign Nicklas Backstrom this summer, solidifying their center depth for the future.

Two years ago, the Capitals locked in center Evgeny Kuznetsov then followed suit in the middle of the 2017-18 season by extending Lars Eller. This past season, just hours before Game 1, the Capitals extended another center in Nic Dowd and this summer the established Swedish Capitals center will finally get his payday just before entering the year of his final contract.

Backstrom’s last contract was signed in 2010 which was a 10-year deal worth $67 million. That was a time when Backstrom was 22 years old about to enter his prime. Back then the possibilities seemed endless with him and Alex Ovechkin front and center for the “Young Guns” era.

“Honestly, I haven’t really thought about it, but I’ve played my whole career here so I would like to stay here. I love it here,” said Backstrom on breakdown day.

The Capitals can re-sign Backstrom as early as July 1st but don’t expect this extension to happen until the tail end of the offseason once the Capitals pay Jakub Vrana and Christian Djoos their money (something many think they’ll most likely do) and make decisions on Brett Connolly, Carl Hagelin, Andre Burakovsky, etc.

The reasoning why Backstrom is the first to get a contract extension or that he’s more likely to get one than Braden Holtby is the fact that the Capitals have goaltending depth up and down their organization.

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