Movember Nicklas "oh my god he's a 94" Backstrom Review!

A small sample size of games played with his 94, he has 2 goals and 2 assists in 3 games. Although, he is too good to not talk about. I also used him back when he was a 90, 91, and 92. I sold him at one point and had to bring him back. His current stats, synergies used, and lines he played on will all be listed below.

18 goals, 18 assists in 45 games. +20, 12PIM

Lines:

Line 1: Ovechkin - Mov NB - Mov Voracek PP Line 1: Ovechkin - Mov NB - Mov Voracek

Former lines used in the 45 games: Ovechkin - Mov NB - Mov Matthews Ovechkin - Mov NB - Mov Kuznetsov Mov Pavelski - Mov NB - Mov Matthews Ovechkin - Mov NB - Crosby

Synergies currently active that affect his stats:

OJ, CG, SB, TW, TT, B

Skating: 10/10

Backstrom flies out there. Even before I had TW, his 93 card put Mats Zuccarello to shame. He is unbelievably agile and quick out there. He goes coast to coast faster than anyone I've used so far in NHL 17. On multiple occasions, I have seen him beat a back skating defenseman at the blue line and have a clear breakaway. His speed for me has been unmatched. Without synergies, his speed, acceleration, and agility all run up to a 96.

Shooting: 9/10 Jesus, does Backstrom ever have a hell of a slapper. With OJ and B, his slapshots stats run quite close to a 99. I typically prefer to take wristshots with my forwards, but sometimes in the high slot on the cycle with Backstrom, I will make it a point to look for the slapshot opportunity. It is deadly accurate. His wrist shot is also nothing to laugh at. He can pick corners with Ovechkin and Stamkos out there. He does lack some power that those elite snipers have on their wrist shots, but it is still a deadly shot. It's comparable to the shot of Pavelski or Kessel, but with some of the best accuracy I've seen in the game.

Hands: 10/10 99's throughout his entire hands category. I can't even begin to try to explain how easy this guy is to use. He will pull off any deke you throw at him. He has quick hands and pin point passing. His saucer pass is absolutely incredible. I absolutely love going end to end with Backstrom and dipsy-doing through all of the opposing defenders. His hands are only matched by Datsyuk (I haven't tried that 99 card, but I could imagine lol)

Physicality: 7/10 Very average here. 6' 1", 213lbs. He can hold his own and throw his weight around if needed. He hasn't injured anyone or laid out any bone crushers that I can remember, but hell, he's solid enough to do that. Definitely don't want him matching up with Weber or Chara or Burns in a bruiser's battle.

Defense: 9.5/10 91 faceoffs, 96 stick checking, 87 shot blocking. If he wasn't on my power play, he'd be on my PK. Backstrom is great on both sides of the puck. Able to bat the puck out of the air with ease (although it seems that ability may be unaffected by stats) and intercept passes often. His speed also makes him great on the backcheck. His awareness seems to be great. Never have any problems with him being a defensive liability.

Conclusion: Is he worth the price tag? After his 94 upgrade, he is running closer to 750k on xbox. He's a threat for OTOTY, a potential milestone if he doesn't reach it during this TOTW, and always a POTG possibility. I would absolutely suggest you guys invest in him. If he reaches a 98 or 99, I can't even begin to fathom his offensive capabilities. Throw him out there with anyone, and he just makes the players around him all that much more threatening. He has been my favorite player to use this year.