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
Nicklas Carlsson his adviser he wanted to leave. His stated desire was to play for his father's old team and in March 2005 he signed a three-year contract. He quickly became a regular for the relegated 10-times Swedish champions as a central defender. But he also became joint second top scorer in the team for the 2005 season by scoring seven goals. Many came through set-pieces with Carlsson's ability to score with his head proving a deciding factor. Nicklas Carlsson scored both goals in the 2–1 win against Västerås SK on 3 October 2005, a win which earned AIK an Allsvenskan berth