6 – Number of days remaining until the 2016-17 season. But it’s also…
…the number of 50-assist seasons for Nicklas Backstrom, including last season. That’s the most in franchise history, two more than the trio tied at second (Alex Ovechkin, Michal Pivonka and Adam Oates); Backstrom is one of two Caps, along with Evgeny Kuznetsov, to have accomplished that feat in the last five seasons, and has sole possession of the franchise lead in assists overall with 477.
Only three other players in the NHL – Joe Thornton, Henrik Sedin and Ryan Getzlaf – have had as many as six 50-assist seasons since Backstrom’s rookie year back in 2007-08.