Nicklas Backstrom Net Worth

What Is Nicklas Backstrom's Net Worth and Salary?

Nicklas Backstrom is a Swedish professional ice hockey player who has a net worth of $50 million. Niklas Bäckström enjoyed a highly respected career as a professional ice hockey goaltender, best known for his time in the NHL with the Minnesota Wild. Undrafted, Bäckström signed with the Wild in 2006 after an impressive run in Finland's SM-liiga, where he helped Kärpät win consecutive championships in 2004 and 2005. In his rookie NHL season (2006–07), he posted a league-best 1.97 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage, earning the William M. Jennings Trophy and immediate recognition as one of the league's top goalies.

Over the course of ten NHL seasons (2006–2016), mostly with the Wild and a brief stint with the Calgary Flames, Bäckström recorded 196 wins, 144 losses, and 50 ties or overtime losses. He finished his NHL career with a 2.49 goals-against average, a .914 save percentage, and 28 shutouts in 413 games. In the 2008–09 season, he was selected for the NHL All-Star Game and later led the league in wins during the lockout-shortened 2012–13 season. At one point, he held several franchise records for the Wild, including most career wins and games played by a goaltender.

Persistent hip injuries eventually limited his ability to compete at the NHL level. After stepping away from the league in 2016, Bäckström played briefly in Europe before retiring from pro hockey. His calm, positional style and consistent performance helped stabilize the Wild for much of a decade, and his career remains one of the most successful for an undrafted European goaltender in NHL history.

Early Life

Nicklas Backstrom was born on November 23, 1987, in Valbo, Sweden. His father, Anders, was a professional ice hockey player who won a championship with the Brynas, and his mother, Catrin, was a handball player. Nicklas put on his older brother's pair of skates when he was just two years old and walked around the house with them, refusing to take them off. By the age of three, he was able to skate on his own. At four years old, he was practicing hockey daily. As a young player, he focused on the mental part of the game, knowing he wasn't the fastest skater.

Backstrom's junior career began overseas when he was 15 years old, and he soon was named Swedish Junior Hockey Player of the Year. In 2006, the Washington Capitals chose him fourth overall in the draft, though he remained in Sweden for an extra year before joining the NHL.

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NHL Career

Nicklas Bäckström was selected fourth overall by the Washington Capitals in the 2006 NHL Draft and officially signed his three-year entry-level contract with the team on May 21, 2007. He made his NHL debut later that year and recorded his first point in October 2007 against the Atlanta Thrashers. Known for his elite vision, two-way awareness, and precise passing, Bäckström quickly established himself as one of the most skilled Swedish forwards of his generation. Centering the Capitals' top line alongside Alexander Ovechkin, he formed one of the NHL's most feared offensive duos. He tallied 69 points as a rookie—including 14 goals and 55 assists—and finished second in Calder Trophy voting.

Bäckström became the Capitals' offensive catalyst and a perennial top-tier playmaker. In 2010, he signed a ten-year, $67 million contract extension to remain in Washington. From 2013–14 through 2018–19, he recorded six consecutive 50-assist seasons—one of only 26 players in NHL history to accomplish the feat. His consistency and playmaking helped drive Washington's offensive success for over a decade. In 2018, Bäckström played a key role in helping the Capitals win their first-ever Stanley Cup, contributing 23 points in 20 playoff games during the championship run.

On March 9, 2022, he reached a major milestone by scoring his 1,000th career NHL point. Later that year, he underwent hip resurfacing surgery—a rare and serious procedure for professional athletes. He returned to the lineup in early 2023 but struggled to regain his previous form. Despite flashes of his old skill, Bäckström's mobility was limited, and by the start of the 2023–24 season, he opted to take an indefinite leave from the team to focus on his health.

In October 2023, he formally stepped away from NHL competition, though he remained under contract with the Capitals. In July 2025, after sitting out two full seasons, Bäckström announced a return to professional hockey by signing a one-year deal with Brynäs IF—his original club in Sweden. The move marked a homecoming and a potential final chapter in his playing career, as he prepares to compete in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) for the 2025–26 season.

Over his NHL career, Bäckström played more than 1,100 games, recorded over 1,000 points, and became the Capitals' all-time assists leader. His legacy is defined by elite playmaking, on-ice intelligence, and unwavering loyalty to Washington.

Internationally, Bäckström represented Sweden with distinction. He helped lead the national team to gold at the 2006 IIHF World Championships, silver at the 2014 Winter Olympics, and gold again at the 2017 World Championships. His poise, professionalism, and team-first mentality made him one of Sweden's most respected hockey ambassadors.

Nicklas Backstrom / Matt Kincaid/Getty Images

Contracts & Career Earnings

Nicklas Backstrom signed a three-year, $7.2 million contract with the Washington Capitals in May 2007. In 2010, he agreed to a 10-year, $67 million deal. In January 2020, Backstrom signed a five-year, $46 million contract that included a $25 million signing bonus, $46 million in guaranteed money, and an annual average salary of $9.2 million. Over his 16-year NHL career, Nicklas has earned more than $97.5 million in salary alone.

Personal Life

Nicklas and his wife, Liza Berg, have three children together: two daughters and a son. During the hockey season, the family resides in Arlington, Virginia.

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