Backstrom tacked on a pair of first-period assists -- including one with the man advantage -- in Saturday's 6-1 home rout over the Canadiens.

EDGE Analysis

The Swede was the primary setup man to T.J. Oshie, and then Backstrom and Evgeny Kuznetsov teamed up on the second of Alex Ovechkin's three goals in the first frame. Having recorded 61, 60, 50 and 63 assists, respectively, over the past four seasons, it's clear that Backstrom is one of the most reliable fantasy contributors the NHL has to offer.

Head coach Barry Trotz is leaning towards separating Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin to start the season, Isabelle Khurshudyan of The Washington Post reports.

EDGE Analysis

The offseason departures of Marcus Johansson and Justin Williams may be to blame as Trotz has to resort to more drastic measures for the sake of depth on his scoring lines. Given the emergence of Evgeny Kuznestov over the last two seasons, it's not surprising that the 29-year-old pivot will be asked to anchor his own unit alongside the talented T.J. Oshie and (most likely) Andre Burakovsky. Given that Backstrom will still be working the top power-play unit, it's not likely his production will suffer too much, but this may be worth considering as your draft unfolds.

Backstrom won't be exposed for the Expansion Draft, Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post reports.

EDGE Analysis

Scoring 23 goals and 86 points will earn you a comfortable position with the Caps. This is the fourth consecutive season where Backstrom surpassed the 70-point mark, and he shows no signs of slowing down. Washington is bound to lose some depth this offseason, though, so it'll be interesting to see how that affects Backstrom's impact with the program.

Backstrom finished the 2016-17 campaign with 23 goals and 8 points in 82 games.

EDGE Analysis

The 28-year-old had his most productive campaign in years with the highest point total since his 101-point mark in 2009-10. While his goal totals improved modestly, Backstrom looked more comfortable shooting the puck this year than he has in a long while which should help keep defenders honest moving forward. The talented playmaker continued to dazzle as one of the league's best setup men, leading the league in powerplay assists and trailing only Art Ross Trophy-winner Connor McDavid for the overall league lead in helpers. Now in his prime years, the Swedish pivot should be one of the first centers off the board in upcoming fantasy drafts.

Backstrom was added to Team Sweden's World Championship roster Thursday, Isabelle Khurshudyan of The Washington Post reports.

EDGE Analysis

The 29-year-old Swede returns to the international stage after missing last year's World Championships. If he can pick up where he left off in the NHL playoffs (13 points in 13 games), he will be a significant boost to Team Sweden's medal aspirations.

Backstrom scored a goal and added an assist in a 5-2 win over Pittsburgh in Game 6 on Monday.

EDGE Analysis

With seven points in the second-round series against the Penguins and 13 in 12 playoff games overall, Backstrom has delivered the type of production required from a top-line center for postseason success. He'll look to help complete the Capitals' comeback in Game 7 on Wednesday in D.C.

Backstrom scored a goal and added an assist -- both on the power play -- during Monday's Game 3 win in overtime against Pittsburgh.

EDGE Analysis

This was Backstrom's second consecutive multi-point game in the series, and he's now up to four goals, 10 points and 23 shots through nine postseason games. As Washington's go-to offensive center, Backstrom's fantasy floor and ceiling are both high, and it's worth noting that the veteran is also coming off his best regular season campaign (86 points) since the 2009-10 season.

Backstrom scored a goal and added a power-play assist during Saturday's Game 2 loss to Pittsburgh.

EDGE Analysis

It was a disappointing night for the Capitals. Backstrom continued to be a strong offensive force with his third multi-point game of the playoffs, and the center is up to three goals, five assists and 15 shots through seven games. But with Washington down 2-0 in the series, Backstrom's chances to add to his numbers might be limited without a significant turnaround for the Caps.

Backstrom chipped in a pair of assists during Wednesday's Game 4 win over Toronto.

EDGE Analysis

After posting 86 points during the regular season, Backstrom has hit the scoresheet in the past three games for two goals and three assists. He's the go-to offensive center for the Caps, and his role and production locks him in as a high-floor, high-ceiling option in daily contests this spring.

Backstrom scored a goal and added an assist in the first period of Monday's Game 3 loss to Toronto.

EDGE Analysis

The two points came in the first five minutes of the game, but the Maple Leafs were able to keep Backstrom at bay thereafter. Still, the star center is up to two goals and an assist through the first three games of the series, and he projects to continue providing high-end offensive numbers going forward. Backstrom is coming off his highest regular-season point total (86) since the 2009-10 campaign, after all.