Nicklas was a so called late bloomer - maybe this would be wrong to say when he played his first game in swedish Elitserien being only 16 years - and won the World Championship when he was 18. But what I mean is he was never "supertalented" when he was younger.
Started up in Valbo AIF, he was at least good anough to be playing the TV-pucken (for Gästrikland district team) two years in a row - and in the season of 2003/2004 he did his first national team games - for J17
The year after (season of 2004/2005) he made 19 games for Brynäs in Elitserien - no goals, no assists. He also did a lof of games with Swedish J18 national team.
Then came his breaktrough. Under the wings of coach Leif Boork he got a lot of confidence and time on the ice and totalled 10 goals and 16 assists in 46 games in the season of 2005/2006. Now he also (along with playing with junior national team) got picked to the senior national team for LE Hpckey Games in Globe Arena, Stockholm, and made a strong impression there. So strong he made it to the ultimate World Cup team - which won the whole tournament in Riga.
Now, current season, Backstrom has taken another next step. He is now established as one of the absolute top players in Sweden