Expected to miss start of season

Backstrom (hip) won't play in the Capitals' first four games according to head coach Barry Trotz, Isabelle Khurshudyan of The Washington Post reports.While Backstrom is taking part in practices, he has yet to be cleared for contact. The 27-year-old Swede has not suffered any setbacks, but it appears as though he will not return to full strength in time for the Oct. 10 opener. If Trotz's projection holds, Backstrom would return on or after Oct. 20's game in Calgary, although Trotz has hedged that projection by saying their "worst case scenario" is for a return some time in November. Continue to monitor his progress as the season unfolds, but at the very least you'll need to find a short-term replacement on your roster. Evgeny Kuznetsov is in line to replace Backstrom on the top line with Alex Ovechkin in the short term.