Capitals: an operation that changed the life of Nicklas Backstrom

< /p> UPDATE DAY

Washington Capitals forward Nicklas Backstrom won't be returning to the game anytime soon, but his morale is definitely on the rise after undergoing life-enhancing surgery.

The veteran went under the knife in June to repair his fairly worn hip. Before the surgery which will leave him on the floor for several weeks this season, he said he was having trouble performing once easy gestures in everyday life. However, it is a new man who spoke with the media on Thursday, on the sidelines of the start of the “Caps” camp. The pain has passed and he can now think about the next step leading to his return to the game.

“I had tried everything before that to improve the situation and I had come to the last resort solutions. It involved technology that hadn't been proven in the sports world, but I had no choice. It was that or skating on one leg,” he described in a press briefing.

“This operation has changed my everyday life, whether it's playing with my children or to put on my stockings and tie my shoelaces. It helped me to be much more functional.”

This is minimally good news for the organization of the American capital, even if Backstrom is not expected soon. The Swede, whose name will be on the long-term injured list at the start of the regular season, has been a reliable element on offense since his arrival in the National League in 2007.

During the last season, he had 31 points in 47 games but had two goals and four assists in six outings during the first-round series against the Florida Panthers. In career, he claims 1011 points in 1058 clashes.