[News] With the 21st overall pick Flames select C Mark Jankowski

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by edn88

Backlund's value to Calgary is as high as it is for any other team. If you could trade for a player like Backlund you would.

Good teams would never trade away a player like Backlund at this point.

Trading away players when they are at their max is a loser game - that is when you want to have that player. Otherwise you are just drafting new players and never moving forward.

If Backlund was on the Blackhawks, Red Wings etc, no way he would be moved at this point in his career.

Let's see what he demands in salary before saying its a loser move. The Blackhawks have been extremely smart in moving out players who aren't core. I don't see Backlund at his age being part of the core, so I would consider moving him. A true loser move is trading away young talent in favor of older talent, only to watch that younger talent blossom elsewhere or have that older talent fail on an expensive contract.

[Caged Great]

Backlund to me is one of the five forward pieces moving forward that you keep regardless of anything.

Gaudreau, Monahan, Bennett, Backlund and Tkachuk are the only 5 key forwards.

Everyone else, including Frolik and even Ferland if necessary are movable instead.

Smart players that play well defensively and do chip in offensively are gold. Backlund would be to the Flames what Marian Hossa has been to Chicago. Highly talented two way player. Obviously Hossa is the higher skilled player, but that is irrelevant.

Similarly, on the back end, you simply never move Gio, Brodie or Hamilton unless absolutely necessary and if that's the case it would be Gio and only if you have a young player or two that has emerged to take spots at a high enough level.

[Caged Great]

5 years at 5.5-6 million for Backlund would not be out of line and perfectly acceptable.

[Bingo]

Don't think the Bruins are looking to move Bergeron, these types of players are money; shut down while producing

[GoJetsGo]

Yea the Hawks move players because they've won multiple cups and have paid record money to their stars because of it.

Mind boggling to suggest we get rid of our best defensive centre who's emerged as one of the most under-rated in the league just as he's coming into his own.

Players like Backlund are who you win with.

Back-asswards suggestion to move him now. We're still building, and he's definitely a core piece now.

[Calgary4LIfe]

I absolutely feel that Backlund is a core piece. He is also everything you want for a 'veteran leader'. His entire career he has done exactly what has been asked from him through different coaches, and I will argue that nobody on the team works as hard in each and every shift. I have literally seen Backlund have maybe 1.5 games this season where I thought he looked off. This is a player you keep, a player you throw out against the NHL's best lines and know he will do a great job against them, and a player you want to point at and say: "Look at that guy, and try to do what he does."

As for Jankowski - He is forcing his way up onto the Flames. Organizationally, you bet that they wanted him as a center, but what do you do now? You don't move Backlund to make room for him (you don't move Backlund at all). You aren't going to displace Monahan at this point. You also want Bennett to realize his full potential as a center and hopefully give him some time, though there is nothing written in stone yet when it comes to Bennett.

Anyway you shake it down, the Flames will be rolling 3 lines from next season based on LW-Center combos.

Gaudreau - Monahan
Tkachuk - Backlund
Bennett/Jankowski - Bennett/Jankowski

I think Jankowski will make a very good center in the NHL. The way he uses his reach to get into passing lanes, how well he protects the puck around players, how well he can pass, and his shot seems to always be improving. I will be 100% happy having him as a center and Bennett as a winger, but I think it can go either way as well. Heck, maybe they trade-off depending on what that match-up is per game? Who the heck knows.

All I know is that this team is going to have some serious center depth (and LW depth) for a long time. Couple that with how young the D-core is, and how many legitimately good prospects the Flames have there, and this is a team that I feel is poised to compete for many years to come. Still some holes - RW, goalie is still a bit of a question mark moving forward - but I do think the roster is coming together.

For RW, you don't need guys at the same level as your LW and center - just guys that can fit in and compliment a line. Ideally, you want somebody with a good RHS to tee up some one-timers on the PP to give it a more dynamic look, you want a bit of ruggedness and speed to keep up, and there are enough goalie prospects and available goalies league-wide to think that there may be a fit soon (if Elliott ends up not being that fit long-term).

All I know is I can't wait to see Jankwoski regularly in the NHL. I really love how he plays and how he sees the ice.

[FlameZilla]

Originally Posted by New Era

Let's see what he demands in salary before saying its a loser move. The Blackhawks have been extremely smart in moving out players who aren't core. I don't see Backlund at his age being part of the core, so I would consider moving him. A true loser move is trading away young talent in favor of older talent, only to watch that younger talent blossom elsewhere or have that older talent fail on an expensive contract.

There's no reason to 'trade away younger talent' in order to keep Backlund around. He's now our veteran shut-down centre who can produce offence consistently against the toughest opposition in the league. It would be Grade-A stupid to let a player like him go after spending all those years developing him.

There's always room for a classy centre like Backlund on this team, even with Monahan, Bennett and Jankowski in the frame. There will be a way to accommodate these players in the pay structure.

[dammage79]

Stajan goes long before Backlund does.

[puckedoff]

Originally Posted by Fire

I would try Tkachuk with Jankowski next season. If it works the Flames could have 3 dangerous lines.

Janko and Tkachuk looked really good at the Penticton camp as well

[Yamer]

Originally Posted by New Era

Let's see what he demands in salary before saying its a loser move. The Blackhawks have been extremely smart in moving out players who aren't core. I don't see Backlund at his age being part of the core, so I would consider moving him. A true loser move is trading away young talent in favor of older talent, only to watch that younger talent blossom elsewhere or have that older talent fail on an expensive contract.

I definitely appreciate you bringing this perspective and argument, but I have to whole-heartedly disagree and say that Backlund has firmly established himself as part of this team's core going forward.

The Bergeron comparison is apt.

[Mike F]

Originally Posted by GoJetsGo

Yea the Hawks move players because they've won multiple cups and have paid record money to their stars because of it.

Mind boggling to suggest we get rid of our best defensive centre who's emerged as one of the most under-rated in the league just as he's coming into his own.

Players like Backlund are who you win with.

Back-asswards suggestion to move him now. We're still building, and he's definitely a core piece now.

Thanked for not using mind bottling.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Yamer

I definitely appreciate you bringing this perspective and argument, but I have to whole-heartedly disagree and say that Backlund has firmly established himself as part of this team's core going forward.

The Bergeron comparison is apt.

Exactly. You win cups with guys like Backlund, no way you don't keep him.

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by dammage79

Stajan goes long before Backlund does.

The Flames will have paid Matt Stajan in excess of $28M by the time his deal expires.

Sign Backlund on July 1 and call it a day.

[Alberta_Beef]

Originally Posted by dammage79

Stajan goes long before Backlund does.

it all depends on contract demands, if Backlund decides he wants to get paid he'll be difficult to sign. So that is not an absolute, it is likely but not a certainty.

[DJones]

Give Backlund whatever he wants. Just give him what we're saving from stajan leaving

[Roof-Daddy]

They'll get Backs extended, and I'm confident it will be somewhere in the $5.5 million range.

[Since1984]

Holy crap! Backlund just hijacked a Jankowski thread? Is this bizarro world?

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by Since1984

Holy crap! Backlund just hijacked a Jankowski thread? Is this bizarro world?

No. We don't talk about Jankowski in the Jankowski thread.

[chockfullofgoodness]

Originally Posted by New Era

Let's see what he demands in salary before saying its a loser move. The Blackhawks have been extremely smart in moving out players who aren't core. I don't see Backlund at his age being part of the core, so I would consider moving him. A true loser move is trading away young talent in favor of older talent, only to watch that younger talent blossom elsewhere or have that older talent fail on an expensive contract.

Backlund just turned 28 and is just entering his prime. He's in the Selke conversation FFS! He is EXACTLY the kind of player this team should keep. When the hell did 28 become old?

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

They'll get Backs extended, and I'm confident it will be somewhere in the $5.5 million range.

Anything more than $4.5 you have to let him go. He's a quasi-3rd liner/2nd liner and you can't afford more than $4.5 for a player like that. I like Backlund, but he is what he is. You do not overpay lower half of the lineup players and think it will not come back to hurt you with the guys you think will be top end talent. I know there are plenty of Backlund supporters out there, but you have to be realistic as to what his talent level is, and he has to be paid at that level. If you overpay him at $5.5M, what happens when Bennett, or any number of players, steps up and surpasses him? That completely ####s the pay structure. You can't pay a 3rd line center that much, just like you can't pay Matt Stajan $4M+ to be a 4th line center and expect to challenge for anything of consequence. Budget is budget. Backlund is one of those players you have to be extremely careful about because he isn't a solid fit anywhere and his salary could be very damaging.