Player Discussion Mikael Backlund

SaintMorose

Registered User
Jul 21, 2009
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For a good number of years Flames fans have had high expectations for this guy.

Drafted with some creativity and hands we felt give him the right line mates and he's bound to be a top 6 centre for our team for a decade. For many years we were treated to him moving up and down the line-up often seen as "in the doghouse" because of inconsistent offense and wanting to mold a guy who was relentless on the puck and could cause open ice turnovers into a defensive specialist centre. While for years many of us wanted to see him put into a position to succeed with strong offensive line-mates, in the end we were pretty happy with Backlund seeing him as the new and improved Matt Stajan who could ideally anchor a shutdown 3rd line while being able to move up the line-up in a pinch. Expectations had dropped but he was still a core piece to the team moving forward.

With the arrival of Brad Treliving though there was a new man at the helm who saw the potential of Backlund as a core piece and he went out and gave him a winger to suit his style in Frolik; giving us a line that could provide a much more sound 2-way game rather than Backlund carrying his line out of their own end.

Our new coach found another match for that line in 6th overall draft pick Tkachuk who's skill has surprised me. As I admittedly got sucked into the draft talk about his toughness and ability to compliment great players instead of seeing his capability to drive a line's offense, his skill to carry a puck, and his god damn on ice IQ being elite.

And now that Backlund leads the only truly consistent line in either end of the ice (including a current streak of 21 points in his last 20 games). I thought it might be good to discuss the Adonis himself.

-Is this the true face of Mikael that we've been waiting for the last 5 years? (not over a point per game but maybe a 55-60 point pace while being the best Defensive forward on the team)
-Is there some vindication for the years of saying he would flourish with good line-mates? (or did being consistently kicked back to the 4th line get him here any faster?)
-What will be the cost to keep him as a UFA past next season? (but with Bouma's and Stajan's somewhat bloated contracts expiring as well will there be an impact on the rest of the roster if we keep him?)

edit: TL;DR
**** YEAH Mikael Backlund is finally what we all hoped in vain he would be years ago. How much money will this cost?
 
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FlamerForLife

Mon Seanahan
May 22, 2015
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The price to keep him is probably ~5 million, but seeing as he likes Calgary would he take a hometown discount?
With the contracts expiring that year, we should have the money to keep him. It'll be a major loss if we lose Backs. Anyone who doesn't think Backs is at least a 2nd line centre at this point is pretty much clueless.
 

Calculon

unholy acting talent
Jan 20, 2006
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Because he's the number one centre Calgary deserves and the one it needs right now
 

Fig

Absolute Horse Shirt
Dec 15, 2014
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-Is there some vindication for the years of saying he would flourish with good line-mates? (or did being consistently kicked back to the 4th line get him here any faster?)

-What will be the cost to keep him as a UFA past next season? (but with Bouma's and Stajan's somewhat bloated contracts expiring as well will there be an impact on the rest of the roster if we keep him?)

I think he kept getting kicked down because of injuries that kept him from ever properly getting to game speed. Whatever that mesh sewed into his abs has made him healthy long term and allowed him to play properly. Playing on the 4th line and such actually helped IMO. Being sent down would not.

I wonder how low we can get the AAV if we gave him max term at 7-8 years? I don't foresee him being randomly useless as a C suddenly, but converting him to wing is a possibility. Worst case, he's just LTIRed for the contract, but I don't see that happening either (Yay super mesh Backlund!)
 

Lunatik

Normal is an illusion.
Oct 12, 2012
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I think he kept getting kicked down because of injuries that kept him from ever properly getting to game speed. Whatever that mesh sewed into his abs has made him healthy long term and allowed him to play properly. Playing on the 4th line and such actually helped IMO. Being sent down would not.

I wonder how low we can get the AAV if we gave him max term at 7-8 years? I don't foresee him being randomly useless as a C suddenly, but converting him to wing is a possibility. Worst case, he's just LTIRed for the contract, but I don't see that happening either (Yay super mesh Backlund!)
Actually I think his last injury was an accidental slash in training camp from Stajan
 

Fig

Absolute Horse Shirt
Dec 15, 2014
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Actually I think his last injury was an accidental slash in training camp from Stajan

Well, whatever the mesh is, it's probably part 4 leaf clover. :laugh: He hasn't had a weird bad luck injury in a while.
 

L13

Registered User
Oct 1, 2015
1,226
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I love Backlund also. Nothing else to contribute. Praise Backlund.
 

tmurfin

That’s the joke
May 8, 2010
11,242
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Ahh, Backs.. one of the few flames prospects that didn't let me down, I remember being downright hyped when he over to NA. It's been crazy watching him progress through the years. Crazy to think he's already played 400+ games as a Flame.
 

Johnny Hoxville

The Return of a Legend
Jul 15, 2006
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Calgary
5 years, 5 million per.

And there's no reason for any vindication, but he's the player we hoped he would be when he was drafted, it just took 9 years.
 

Lunatik

Normal is an illusion.
Oct 12, 2012
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5 years, 5 million per.

And there's no reason for any vindication, but he's the player we hoped he would be when he was drafted, it just took 9 years.
No he's not, if you told people he would only end up a 40-50 point two-way 2nd line center people would have been disappointed. The vast majority people hear first round pick and are disappointed if they end up as any less than a first line talent
 

Johnny Hoxville

The Return of a Legend
Jul 15, 2006
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Calgary
No he's not, if you told people he would only end up a 40-50 point two-way 2nd line center people would have been disappointed. The vast majority people hear first round pick and are disappointed if they end up as any less than a first line talent

I would say I see Backlund as our topline C, but he's a guy that's better suited in a 2C role. I thought he had probably had 60-65pt upside at the time he was drafted. While he's not quite there, I still he think he can get around 55-60 pts over the next few years so he's pretty much at the expectations I had for him. If people expected more out of a late 1st, their expectations were far to unrealistic (but I know you're saying that's exactly the case lol).
 

Bounces R Way

Registered User
Nov 18, 2013
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I had been crediting Hartley with Backlund's turnaround but I'm just wondering if it was getting away from Butters and Dutters.

I credit Brent Sutter with Backlund's development as a premier defensive centreman. Backlund got the same treatment Bennett is getting now for several years under Brent and became much more dependable for it. Hartley I credit with recognizing Backlund's effect on the game, giving him decent linemates, and deploying him to mask the rest of the lineups deficiencies. Gulutzan I credit with leaning on Backlund like a cripple leans on a cane.

Mikael I credit with being too sexy for his shirt.
 

Anglesmith

Setting up the play?
Sep 17, 2012
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No he's not, if you told people he would only end up a 40-50 point two-way 2nd line center people would have been disappointed. The vast majority people hear first round pick and are disappointed if they end up as any less than a first line talent

I don't think that's really true, especially when you get into the mid- and late rounds. Remember when Bo Horvat rocketed up the draft class, was drafted 9th and people were saying he was going to be a high-end middle-six shutdown centre?

Or I guess just think of our recent 20-somethingth overall picks like Klimchuk and Poirier. In Klimchuk's case especially, people were perfectly happy to project him as a middle-six winger right off the hop, and weren't unhappy about that at all.

I mean, just looking at statistics should tell us that if you're expecting a late first-rounder to be a lock for the first line, it's your problem and not theirs if you end up disappointed.
 
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Lunatik

Normal is an illusion.
Oct 12, 2012
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I don't think that's really true, especially when you get into the mid- and late rounds. Remember when Bo Horvat rocketed up the draft class, was drafted 9th and people were saying he was going to be a high-end middle-six shutdown centre?

Or I guess just think of our recent 20-somethingth overall picks like Klimchuk and Poirier. In Klimchuk's case especially, people were perfectly happy to project him as a middle-six winger right off the hop, and weren't unhappy about that at all.

I mean, just looking at statistics should tell us that if you're expecting a late first-rounder to be a lock for the first line, it's your problem and not theirs if you end up disappointed.
I'm not disappointed in Backlund at all. But I have seen how people treat prospects. They expect first rounders to be top players and second rounders to be middle 6 guys. I don't know how many times I've tried to keep people's expectations down. I'm of the the believe that for the most part it breaks down as follows:

1st round (Picks 1-5) - Star player/1st line forward or 1/2 defenseman
1st round (Picks 6-10) - 1st line/2nd line forward or 2/3 defenseman
1st round (Picks 11-20) - 2nd line/3rd line forward or 3/4/5 defenseman
1st round (Picks 21-30) - 3rd line/4th line forward or 4/5/6 defenseman
2nd round - 4th line/depth forwards or 5/6/7 defenseman
3rd round - depth forwards or depth defensemen
4th round to 7th round - anything is a bonus

obviously a player's set of skills will impact expectations as well but I recall people clamoring that Backlund was going to be a sure fire 1st liner, just like Baertschi. It's gotten better in recent years, but that is only because we've had higher picks.
 

InfinityIggy

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Jan 30, 2011
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I credit Brent Sutter with Backlund's development as a premier defensive centreman. Backlund got the same treatment Bennett is getting now for several years under Brent and became much more dependable for it. Hartley I credit with recognizing Backlund's effect on the game, giving him decent linemates, and deploying him to mask the rest of the lineups deficiencies. Gulutzan I credit with leaning on Backlund like a cripple leans on a cane.

Mikael I credit with being too sexy for his shirt.

I agree with all of this, what an excellent post.
 

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