Hip resurfacing surgery gave Nicklas Backstrom his life back, and he's confident he will come back stronger for the Capitals.

ARLINGTON, V.A. -- Washington Capitals Nicklas Backstrom can remember exactly what he felt the moment he woke up from having hip resurfacing surgery.

The highly experimental procedure had its risks and had some critics saying that Backstrom would never be able to play again. But for No. 19, it was necessary; the pain had escalated to a point where walking, bending over and even putting on his socks or tying his skates was excruciating. And in the end, it was worth it.

Still, that feeling after his eyes flashed open was one so unparalleled that it took Backstrom a moment to really put it into words as we talked at MedStar Capitals Iceplex.

"I think -- it was just like -- went back to -- I don't know, calmness in my body if that makes sense?" Backstrom told The Hockey News. "It was just a nice feeling, you know? I felt it right away, which was nice. It was an awesome feeling for me, personally."

The surgery he underwent in Belgium had been an absolute success. Backstrom was no longer battling through the chronic hip pain that dated all the way back to 2015. Over those seven years, he'd skated through the issue, but with each stride, step and, eventually, movement, his hip continued to grind down and got to a point where the way he skated and walked was no longer a feasible way of living.

Things went downhill in 2021-22. Backstrom had missed the first part of that season trying to rehabilitate the hip and address the issue without surgery, and though he felt good to start the season, the issue started to flare up again. It hit an all-time low in May 2022. He had six points in six playoff games, but there was a noticeable difference in his speed. His stride looked off, and behind the scenes, it was easy to sense something was wrong.

"You never want to see a guy going through pain, and I think every team there's a guy or two that you're like, 'He's just not right' or 'He's battling," Tom Wilson said of No. 19's demeanor in 2021-22.

"Every time you're taking a stride, if you feel that hip bothering you, it's gonna affect the way you skate," Lindgren explained. "Obviously, skating's very important as a player, so there's definitely a mental aspect to it. I'm sure mentally for him probably getting back on the ice and getting into a game, that's got to be a mental hurdle. You're probably asking yourself, 'Okay, how am I gonna feel, how am I gonna feel when I get hit?'"

And then, when Washington was eliminated by the Florida Panthers in the first round, he was at the event horizon: there was no going back, and the surgery was his only option.

"The situation, what he's been through... it's hard mentally," captain and longtime friend Alex Ovechkin said. "Physically, you don't know if you're going to be able to play hockey or not."

He was a different person when he returned home after surgery. He could finally pick up socks, run outside with his kids and wake up in the morning without a shooting pain moving throughout his body. And while there was work to do and a lot of uncertainty ahead, Backstrom remained calm.

"I think everyone goes through some times when there's darker moments in their career," Backstrom added. "Obviously, that was one of the dark ones for me. So it was tough, but at the same time, I just got to put that aside and get back to work."

While Backstrom's future was questioned, the Swede stayed focused and wouldn't allow the potential of never being able to play again to take a mental toll. He had also done his research on the procedure and drew inspiration from Andy Murray, who has continued to have a successful career following his own hip resurfacing surgery, and felt confident he could have it both ways: be pain-free and remain a top-6 NHL center.

"I think it's more important that you just try to reset yourself after stuff like that," Backstrom said. "I think the most frustrating thing was we didn't really have any answer until I got one this year. That was nice."

His rehab took roughly seven months, but after a lot of off-ice work and eventual skating, he was back on the ice on Jan. 8 against the Columbus Blue Jackets. His last-ditch effort to save his career had paid off as his teammates saw a "brand new Nick" rise back up.

"It was just a game-changer," he said. "I haven't skated like that in a couple years, you know?"

"Me and him spend lots of time together off the ice, on the ice," Ovechkin added. "I was happy to see him back."

Backstrom finished last season with 21 points in 39 games and started to look and feel more like himself by the time the season ended. He is confident that a full summer of training will help him return fully to form.

"The progress has been better, I mean, better and better," Backstrom said. "Obviously, it's not ideal to come in midseason with a big surgery like that and you missed a lot and you're trying to catch up. It's not ideal, but I'm optimistic about next year. IHave a good summer, the first really good summer in a couple years, and be ready at training camp and be a part of that. That's what I'm looking forward to."

However, general manager Brian MacLellan wasn't entirely sold at the end of the season, explaining that there were still questions as to whether or not the 34-year-old would be able to keep his career going much longer.

"That's a major surgery," MacLellan said. "I think it's frustrating in that I don't know how much better does it get? I haven't seen any other players do it, recover and get back to the level they thought they were at before. I don't know where that ends up with the offseason training. He's going to have to make a decision on his career where he thinks he's at."

Still, Backstrom will be at training camp in the fall and given the chance to show what he can do, and he and his teammates have faith that he can get back to where he's been in the past.

"It's working out. I got a second chance to extend my career, I'm very happy to be back," Backstrom said. "It's just so much fun to play games again and compete out there with the guys, so very fortunate."

His teammates are cofndient as well.

"He's got one of the best minds in the game, so when his body allows him to do what his mind is telling him, it's a pretty scary recipe for success," Wilson said. "It's nice to see him moving better and pain-free, and his body's responding to what he wants it to do. He thinks the game better than anybody I've ever played with, so when he's moving at full speed and feeling like himself, he's a heck of a player and one we're lucky to have."

But, most importantly, Backstrom has his life back, and that new perspective is one he'll get to carry forward whether he's on the ice or not.

"I was more positive and [feel] better than last year. Last year was more frustrating," Backstrom said, then smiled, "I'm happier as a guy and happier as a person."