Capitals' Nicklas Backstrom: On LTIR

Backstrom (hip), who announced last Wednesday that he's temporarily stepping away from hockey to focus on his health, was moved to the long-term injured reserve list Wednesday.

It was already expected that Backstrom would be out for a while, but this move serves to confirm that notion. He had an assist in eight contests before beginning his break from hockey. With Backstrom unavailable, Dylan Strome seems to have cemented himself on the Capitals' top line.