Capitals Ready for Backstrom

The Washington Capitals currently hold the 8th spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race, by virtue of the regulation/overtime wins tie-breaker with the Buffalo Sabres and now they will get a massive boost to their game, as Nicklas Backstrom has been confirmed to return on Saturday evening, when the Caps host the Habs.

Backstrom will return to the line-up with the 5th-best scoring rate in the NHL, when he left the line-up in January, he was one of the league's better scorers, having 13 goals and 29 assists in 38 games, scoring better than a point-per game.  As he returns to the line-up, Backstrom now ranks 161st in pool scoring with only a week left in the regular season, but it won't be the scoring that the Capitals need exactly, it will be the ability to help them to post wins.

Backstrom will re-join Scott G.'s draft team, far too late in the season to make a difference.  Backstrom was the biggest hit to Scott's season, as the concussion kept him out way too long and it was hard to let him go at the second waiver draft, because he is just that good.  Backstrom was Scott's 1st pick, 19th overall this year and the anvil that broke the camel's back.

On the plus side, Backstrom does return in time for the playoffs and if the Capitals can put on a show in the last week of the season, the Capitals could be in line to be a playoff spoiler, looking for upsets in the 1st round.