Outdoors & Sports

Nicklas Bäckström Negotiates Own Contract, Re-Signs With Washington Capitals

Born in Valbo, Sweden, Nicklas Bäckström has made quite the name for himself since being selected fourth overall by the Washington Capitals in the 2006 NHL Draft. The 32-year-old center is one of just two Capitals players to have tallied 900 points – the other being superstar and linemate Alex Ovechkin.

With his 10-year, $67 million deal set to expire at the end of the 2020 season, contract negotiations have been ongoing between the Swede and the Capitals. However, the negotiation process has not been a traditional one.

Last summer, Bäckström and his agent Mark Levine parted ways. And while some speculated the split was due to underlying issues, he quashed those rumors in a December interview with the Washington Post.

“It is not just about saving money,” Backstrom told the Post. “I want to do it. I’m interested in it. I want to know what is going on, like, behind the scenes. When you have an agent, you only hear what the numbers are. I just want to see how people react and stuff. That is what I think is pretty cool.”

That curiosity paid off, literally. This week, he and the Capitals agreed to terms on a five-year, $46-million deal.

As a result of the successful contract negotiation, it’s likely that Bäckström will play his entire career with the Caps.

And he might have a future working as a sports agent if the whole hockey thing doesn’t work out.