Washington Capitals forward Nicklas Backstrom underwent surgery on his left hip earlier this week.
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The club, which plays in the American capital, confirmed this on Saturday via its Twitter account. The Swede also underwent surgery in Belgium.
Backstrom struggled with hip problems during the 2021-22 season, which caused him to miss several games. And even though he played in the playoffs, his hip still hurt.
He finished the season with 31 points in 47 games before adding six points in as many playoff games.
“My hip will never be 100% again,” he admitted during the Capitals’ end-of-season evaluation interviews, still not sure if surgery was necessary at the time. Some days it goes well, other days it doesn’t. So life is.”
Without specifying the exact length of his rehabilitation period, the Capitals mentioned that it would be a “very long recovery process”.
In 2022-2023, the 34-year-old athlete – who turns 35 in November – will complete the third year of a five-year contract worth $46 million. In 1,058 National League games, all with the team that targeted him in the 2006 fourth round, Backstrom has amassed 1,011 points.