Nicklas Bäckström Nicklas Bäckström Nicklas Bäckström (; born 23 November 1987) is a Swedish professional ice hockey centre and an alternate captain for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). Bäckström was selected fourth overall by the Capitals at the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, and has since gone on to become Washington's all-time franchise leader in assists. Bäckström won his first Stanley Cup with the Capitals in 2018. Bäckström was born and raised in Valbo, Sweden. His father, Anders, was a professional ice hockey player, who won a championship with the Brynäs and retired shortly after Bäckström was born. His
2007–08 Pittsburgh Penguins season Memorial Trophy, awarded to the player most valuable to his team. With 106 points, Malkin was the Penguins' leader in scoring. He finished second in the League only to Ovechkin. At one point in the season, Malkin recorded a 15-game point streak, the longest by a Russian player in the NHL. In June, he was announced as the League's top center and honored on the First All-Star Team alongside Ovechkin and Iginla, defensemen Nicklas Lidstrom and Dion Phaneuf, and goaltender Evgeni Nabokov. The Penguins benefited from the success of several players who were called up from the team's American Hockey