If Backstrom retires, then the Caps will have recapture fees due to his front loaded contract. If he can stay on LTIR for the next three years, then Caps have his cap space to use.

How would the recapture penalty work if he retires? I am not up on all the CBA details but in the back of my head I thought there were only recapture penalties on contracts that were back loaded or the terms were extended way out extra years to lower the cap hit - which under the last CBA were eliminated with the max contract length. I believe if he retires his cap hit just comes off the books. If she stays, it goes to LTIR which they can then exceed the cap by but not accumulate cap space. Him retiring would, I believe, give them much more flexibility but I can't imagine he walks away from the remainder of the money. Unless he retires and the team gives him a "job" within the organization to pay him out that way.

I anticipate he goes on LTIR this year while trying to rehab and either stays on it all three years or retires next summer.