- Brynäs picked up the option year on Nicklas Backstrom’s contract
- Spring injury problems have no clear end date, leaving his SHL status uncertain
- Read below for the full details on what the Capitals legend’s 2026-27 future looks like
Nicklas Backstrom is back on the Brynäs IF roster for 2026-27. Whether he ever plays a game is anybody’s guess.
The club announced Friday that neither side declined the option year in Backstrom’s contract, meaning the 38-year-old Swede officially returns. The same release made clear that “injury problems” from the spring still require rehab with no known end date, and Brynäs is building the roster around the chance he won’t be available at all.
Sports director Johan Alcén explained the plan in the team’s statement:
“Nicklas means an enormous amount to Brynäs IF. Everyone knows that, and we will give him the time and support required in his rehabilitation. There is no given timeframe for this, but at the same time, we of course take responsibility for building a strong squad where Nicklas can be seen as a bonus next season.”
To help with the comeback, Brynäs has brought in a specialist clinic in Stockholm to work alongside the team’s rehab staff.
Backstrom signed with his hometown club last summer after years of chronic hip trouble forced him out of the NHL. The reunion went exactly the way Gävle hoped:
His comeback season produced 30 points in 45 games and a first SHL goal in 18 years back in October:
Two assists in five playoff games followed before Växjö swept Brynäs aside in the quarterfinals. The option year does not extend past 2026-27, so this could be the final chapter of his playing career, or it might never get off the ground.
In Washington, Backstrom remains one of the franchise’s all-time greats. 1,105 NHL games, 1,033 points, a 2018 Stanley Cup, and the Capitals’ career assist leader. He last suited up against the San Jose Sharks on October 29, 2023, before chronic hip issues forced him off the ice.
It’s a strange place for Alex Ovechkin’s longtime running mate to land. Listed on a Brynäs roster he might never see ice for, with no decision forced either way. Michal Kempny, Christian Djoos, and Axel Jonsson-Fjällby all return alongside him on paper.
Whether Bäckis ever gets back on the ice with them is the only question that matters.
