Your savory breakfast links:

• Technically the team had the day off, but there were two notable skaters at Kettler yesterday.
• Nicklas Backstrom (yes, that Nicklas Backstrom!) put on his pads, laced 'em up, and spent a full 20 minutes on the ice. With a hockey stick an' everything, yo.
  • Freshly returned from R&R in Sweden, he shared his thoughts with Mike Vogel. [Caps365 video, Dump 'n' Chase]
  • The even better news? This was his second day on Kettler ice. [WaPo, WashTimes, NHL.com, CSNW, PHT]
  • Aw, yeah. [Caps OT pics (one, two)]
    
  • Here's the #fancystats look at forwards returning post-concussion. [WaPo]
    
• Mike Green was also on the ice as he prepares for his return from suspension ... [WaPo, PHT]
  
  • ... a fairly expensive suspension, at that. [CityNews]
• Teams are ramping it up for the playoff run ... [ESPN]
• ... as are their general managers. [NHL.com, CSNW]
• Evolving their game. [Peerless]
• ♫ Clang clang clang went the crossbar, ping ping ping went the post. ♫ [RMNB]
• Keith Aucoin's new baby boy has an NHL centerman for a daddy. And that means a lot. [WashTimes]
• Today in The Trouble With Alex Ovechkin. [NYT, Montreal Gazette, RtR]
• The Caps' secret shootout weapon made an appearance on NHL Live. [Caps365 (video)]
• The Stingrays have signed another one of the Caps' DevCamp invitees, RPI senior forward Patrick Cullen. [Post & Courier]
• And speaking of Stingrays, Philipp Grubauer is still turning heads, even as he's not speaking German with Olie Kolzig. [WaPo]
• Reports from Russian teevee indicate that Evgeny Kuznetsov has made his decision. Let's wait to see some signed contracts, shall we? [Alex Ovetjkin, WaPo]
• Finally, more March babies. Happy 31st birthday to Tyler Sloan, happy 30th to David Steckel, and happy 33rd to J.F. Fortin.