Backstrom finished first in assists with 60 and sixth in points with 78. And Trotz considers Backstrom’s defense to be on par with his passing.

Trotz said Backstrom was a “hybrid” of players like Patrice Bergeron and Jonathan Toews, who have won the Selke Trophy for best defensive forward.

“You look at Toews,” Trotz said. “He seems to be physical. He can make plays as well. Bergeron has the intangibles. He wins face-offs and makes big plays on the big stage and quietly competes. That’s Backy. He is a combination of those guys.”

Trotz is not the only one who has noticed Backstrom’s versatility.

“When you are a setup man for Ovechkin and you run the power play like he does in Washington, people get this picture of you, and maybe they only look at you a certain way and don’t ever recognize the completeness of your game,” said Eddie Olczyk, an analyst for NBCSN.

Since Backstrom entered the league in 2007, only Vancouver’s Henrik Sedin (469) and San Jose’s Joe Thornton (451) have had more assists than his 427, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Perhaps surprisingly, Backstrom has never been selected to play in an All-Star Game.

“He never gets any recognition for any part of his game,” Trotz said. “I am blown away that he has never been in an All-Star Game. He doesn’t want the fanfare. The lower under the radar he can be, the better. I just think that’s his personality.”

For his part, Backstrom seems content to leave that attention to others — and he makes good use of the break.