Bruce Boudreau hasn't coached the Washington Capitals since 2011, but his praise for center Nicklas Backstrom remains at an all-time high.

Boudreau joined NBC's broadcast of a throwback Capitals game from the 2007-08 season on Monday. Even though Boudreau was in his first season as an NHL bench boss and Backstrom was in his rookie campaign, the coach could tell early on he had something special in the Swede.

"Backstrom, even though he was really young at that age, was going to be a great player," Boudreau said, according to NBC's J.J. Regan. "(His) mind was thinking a thought ahead over everybody."

Backstrom has spent most of his career in the shadow of teammate Alex Ovechkin. The 2007-08 campaign was no exception, as Backstrom finished second in Calder Trophy voting to Patrick Kane with 69 points, but Ovechkin won the Hart Trophy after potting 65 goals.

When Boudreau was asked who Backstrom reminded him of, the coach put the pivot in some elite company.

"A player who's not overly fast or overly strong, like a Brian Trottier," he said.

Trottier, a Hall of Famer and six-time Stanley Cup champion, is regarded as one of the best centers of all time. Playing on the great New York Islanders teams of the early '80s, he was also sometimes overshadowed by legendary teammates, like Mike Bossy and Denis Potvin.

Backstrom, meanwhile, has established himself as one of the best playmakers of his generation. Since entering the league, no player - not even Sidney Crosby or Joe Thornton - can match Backstrom's 684 assists, and he ranks fifth with 927 points during that span.

If the 32-year-old can remain productive during the back nine of his career, he too could have a case for the Hall of Fame one day, but a lack of individual hardware may eventually keep him out.

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Despite battling multiple injuries over the last few seasons, New Jersey Devils netminder Cory Schneider is not considering hanging up his pads in the near future.

"It's all about trying to be in peak physical condition because I feel good, mentally," Schneider told NHL.com's Mike Morreale. "I want to continue my career. I haven't entertained thoughts of retirement at all."

Schneider had surgery to repair a core muscle injury after the 2015-16 season. Two years later, he had another procedure to repair torn cartilage in his hip.

Before the injuries, Schneider was one of the game's elite goaltenders. He posted a 2.14 goals-against average and .924 save percentage while averaging 56 starts per campaign over his first three seasons with the Devils from 2013-16. Over the four seasons since the core muscle surgery, the netminder owns a 2.96 goals-against average and .906 save percentage while starting an average of 33 games.

The 34-year-old hit rock bottom in 2019-20, going 3-6-2 with a 3.53 goals-against average and .887 save percentage. He was sent down to the AHL on two different occasions.

Even with 23-year-old MacKenzie Blackwood showing the promise of a capable long-term starter, Schneider still thinks he can be a contributor to the rebuilding Devils.

"I have two years left on my contract and my obligation and my goal is to do that and see where it goes from there," he said. "I'm not naive to the business side of things, but feel that when I'm playing well, I can do a lot for our team on the ice and off the ice. That's the role that I want to fill."

The veteran is signed through the 2021-22 season with a $6-million cap hit. The Devils could buy him out for $2 million against the cap through 2023-24, according to CapFriendly.

Schneider was acquired from the Vancouver Canucks in the 2013 offseason in exchange for the ninth overall pick in that year's draft, which turned into Bo Horvat. Then-general manager Lou Lamoriello signed the goaltender to a seven-year, $42-million deal the following summer.

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Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares knows there isn't an easy answer when it comes to the NHL's options for playing out the 2019-20 season.

"I'm not sure I'm completely 100% sold on any format," Tavares said, according to Sports Illustrated's Alex Prewitt. "But the biggest thing is honoring the regular season as best as we can while still giving each team that deserves the opportunity, or still has an opportunity to make the playoffs, to be a part of that."

Tavares added: "It's difficult to determine the fairest way of going about it, with so many different variables that were out of your control, in terms of games teams have played, the opponents they have left to finish the season, how many home games."

The 2019-20 campaign was paused on March 12 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many ideas for a potential return to action have been floated, while a modified 24-team playoff format has reportedly gained the most traction lately.

Tavares, alongside four other players - Connor McDavid, James van Riemsdyk, Ron Hainsey, and Mark Scheifele - are part of the NHL's Return to Play Committee that's been working with the league to figure out a plan.

Tavares confirmed that players do want to resume the season but that a number of factors must be taken into account, including the issue of separating those players from their families.

"Guys understand how fortunate we are to play a game for a living, and if we have that opportunity, we would be very excited about that, especially knowing the state the world is in, and the positivity that could bring back," Tavares said. "But, at the same time, the health and safety measures have to be at the highest of standards."

While Tavares knows things can change dramatically every day, he feels a "sense of urgency" to get a concrete plan in place so that players can have a better understanding of what a return would look like if the NHL gets the green light to resume.

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Two more states are getting ready to welcome back professional sports.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced Monday that professional sports will be allowed to reopen in his state May 31, according to Karina Kling of Spectrum News Austin.

Seven professional sports - basketball, baseball, auto racing, football, golf, softball, and tennis - were given the green light to resume in Texas, pending approval from the Department of State Health Services (DSHS), according to Jori Epstein of USA Today. Hockey and soccer were not mentioned; it's unclear if that will mean a longer wait time for the National Hockey League's Dallas Stars or Major League Soccer's FC Dallas and Houston Dynamo.

Abbott's office detailed a list of requirements that professional leagues must meet before being allowed to resume in Texas. All leagues must first present "a plan that incorporates applicable minimum standard health protocols" to the state, which will then be reviewed by both the DSHS and the governor's office.

Out west, Gov. Gavin Newsom stated California is hoping to allow sports events beginning in the first week of June.

Newsom cautioned, however, that early June is merely a target at this time. There would also be "modifications and very prescriptive conditions" required to host events in California.

In both states, pro sports would resume without fans in attendance.

Texas and California are the latest states to either reopen for sports or contemplate doing so. Both Florida and Arizona officially welcomed professional sports into their borders last week; New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo encouraged his state's teams to start planning for a reopening without fans.

Texas and California play host to a combined 29 sports franchises spread across the four major professional leagues, MLS, and the WNBA.

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It remains unclear whether or not the NHL will allow its players to participate in the 2022 Beijing Olympics after they missed out in 2018. If they do, the Americans will be in a great position to put forward perhaps their strongest team yet.

When the IIHF unveiled the groups for the 2022 Games in April, we looked back at some of the best lineups Team Canada has ever assembled. In this edition, we look south of the border and focus our attention on the United States.

Though we considered the raw talent on each roster, we also prioritized how each team performed and where it finished in the tournament.

5. 1998 Nagano

GM: Lou Lamoriello
Coach: Ron Wilson
Finish: Sixth place
Record (W-L-T): 1-3-0
GF-GA: 9-14

Forwards

Defense

Goalies

It's rather remarkable that this American roster only managed to muster nine goals through four games.

The team featured the NHL's leading goal scorer in Tkachuk and four of the top 11 scorers from the previous season. Brett Hull and Mike Modano ended up netting two goals apiece, while only two other American forwards scored during the tournament.

After opening with a 4-2 loss to Sweden, Team USA scored five of its nine goals in its sole victory over Belarus. It was all downhill from there, as the club suffered a 4-1 loss to Canada before being eliminated by the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals.

Unfortunately, this group is best remembered for its antics off the ice. After being eliminated, the players were reprimanded for trashing their hotel rooms at the Olympic Village, causing about $1,000 in damages.

4. Turin 2006

GM: Don Wadell
Coach: Peter Laviolette
Finish: Eighth place
Record (W-L-T): 1-4-1
GF-GA: 16-17

Forwards

Defense

Goalies

After coming so close to capturing gold at the previous Olympic Games in 2002, Turin was a nightmare for Team USA.

The team bolstered an experienced lineup with a handful of Hall of Famers and Stanley Cup champions, but that winning pedigree failed to translate during the Olympic tournament. This American roster missed the presence of offensive spark plugs like Hull and Jeremy Roenick, as five forwards failed to contribute a single goal.

The alarm bells rang early for Team USA following a tie against Latvia in its opening contest. A 4-1 win over Kazakhstan didn't exactly jolt the club with confidence, and any momentum it generated was quickly halted by three consecutive one-goal losses to Slovakia, Sweden, and Russia.

After finishing fourth in their group, the Americans drew a Finnish team in the quarterfinals that had yet to lose a game and had conceded only two goals. Despite a valiant effort, Team USA fell short with a 4-3 loss and finished a nation-worst eighth for just the second time.

3. 2014 Sochi

GM: David Poile
Coach: Dan Bylsma
Finish: Fourth place
Record (W-OTW-OTL-L): 3-1-0-2
GF-GA: 20-12

Forwards

Defense

Goaltending

With 13 holdovers from the club that earned silver at the 2010 Vancouver Games, Team USA produced a commendable effort in Sochi but ultimately failed to meet expectations.

The biggest change to the team's roster construction came on the blue line. General manager David Poile favored younger, more mobile defensemen, which worked to the Americans' advantage throughout most of the tournament. It was the offense, however, that would eventually thwart their chances at a gold medal.

The Americans dominated both Slovakia and Slovenia while picking up a shootout victory against Russia to secure a spot in the quarterfinals against the Czech Republic. After winning that game 5-2, Team USA ran into the most dominant Canadian team assembled in quite some time and was blanked 1-0 in a nail-biting semifinal contest.

What overshadowed this particular group's strong tournament was the way it ended. With a chance at the bronze medal, the Americans were shut out for the second consecutive contest in an embarrassing 5-0 loss to Finland.

2. Salt Lake City 2002

GM: Craig Patrick
Coach: Herb Brooks
Finish: Silver
Record (W-L-T): 4-1-1
GF-GA: 26-10

Forwards

Defense

Goalie

With three Hall of Fame talents on the blue line, the 2002 Americans formed arguably the best defensive team the nation has ever assembled. The club also rostered seven of the top 80 NHL point scorers in history, giving it plenty of offensive firepower.

John LeClair led the tournament with six goals in eight games while Brett Hull finished second in points with eight. Netminder Mike Richter was sensational between the pipes, authoring .932 save percentage in 240 minutes of action.

Team USA flexed its muscles throughout the preliminary round, thumping Finland 6-0 and Belarus 8-1 en route to claiming the top spot in Group D. After tying Russia earlier in the tournament, the Americans took the rematch in the semifinals by a score of 3-2 to set up the gold medal game against Canada.

The final coincidentally fell on the anniversary (Feb. 24) of each nation's last gold medal in men's Olympic hockey. Team USA had allowed only five goals to that point in the tournament but doubled the number with a 5-2 loss to the Canadians. In the end, the Americans were forced to settle for silver despite dominating much of the event.

1. Vancouver 2010

GM: Brian Burke
Coach: Ron Wilson
Finish: Silver
Record (W-OTW-OTL-L): 5-0-0-1
GF-GA: 24-9

Forwards

Defense

Goalies

This American club featured several players who were in their prime, as well as a few wily veterans on the blue line. The team dominated the round-robin and ultimately came one goal shy of finishing the tournament with a perfect record and capturing the nation's first gold medal in men's hockey since the "Miracle on Ice" at the 1980 Games in Lake Placid.

Team USA suffered a tough blow just weeks before the tournament when it lost defensemen Mike Komisarek and Paul Martin to injuries. They were replaced by Ryan Whitney and Tim Gleason, which left the club with only two right-shooting rearguards in Brian Rafalski and Erik Johnson.

The Americans adapted well thanks to their well-rounded offense and elite play in goal from netminder Ryan Miller, who owned a tournament-best .945 save percentage. The club outscored its opponents 14-5 during round-robin play, which included an impressive 5-3 win over Canada.

After throttling Finland 6-1 in the semifinals, Team USA owned a perfect record heading into the final game - a rematch against Canada with the gold medal on the line. Despite carrying all that momentum into the contest, the Americans were halted by Sidney Crosby's overtime heroics and were forced to settle for a silver medal.

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New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday he's asked major sports teams in his state to begin planning for seasons without spectators, and the state government will do what it can to help facilitate returns to play.

"I have been encouraging major sports teams to plan reopening without fans, but the games could be televised," Cuomo said in a press conference Monday, according to NBC. "New York state would help those major sports franchises to do just that. Hockey, basketball, baseball, football - whoever can reopen, we're a ready, willing, and able partner."

While not getting the revenue that ticket sales generate will impact teams financially, Cuomo believes returns can still work without fans.

"They have to make that decision but any way we can help we would help and then we can be up and running," Cuomo said, according to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic.

"But why wait until you can fill a stadium before you start to bring a team back? If you can televise it in the meantime, great," he added.

All major North American leagues are still trying to coordinate plans for a safe return from a pandemic-induced hiatus.

The NFL is in the midst of its offseason, but last week the league released its normal regular-season schedule set to begin in September.

The NHL and NBA, which both went on pause in mid-March, are still evaluating safety protocols and contingency plans to find a way to finish 2019-20 seasons.

The 2020 MLB campaign was shut down before it began, with spring training halted. Team owners signed off on a plan last week to begin a season in July, but they've received plenty of pushback from players since.

New York state has the most confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States, according to the CDC. The state is in the process of reopening its economy in different phases by region, but New York City has not yet been given clearance.

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The NHL and NHLPA are discussing the use of two hub cities to each feature 12 teams for a potential resumption of the 2019-20 season, reports TSN's Darren Dreger.

Previous discussions included proposals of four hub destinations, though it's not clear which locations the NHL is leaning toward using. Several cities, including Toronto, Vancouver, and Edmonton, previously expressed interest in hosting.

It was reported Sunday that the league and players' union are making progress toward a 24-team playoff format, though there's still work to be done before anything is finalized.

The NHL's Board of Governors is set for a conference call Monday afternoon to continue discussions on a return to play.

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