Quote:
Originally Posted by Mean Mr. Mustard
Instead of bashing Erixon maybe the Flames organization should take a look in the mirror and determine what makes them a less attractive organization to play for relative to other teams. Blake Wheeler did something similar in Phoenix because at the time the Coyotes organization was one of the worst run in the NHL and it was more of a circus rather than a professional club with the hockey team being a sideshow almost to Gretzky coaching.
Right now the Flames need to invest in their young make it a hospitable place for players to develop - give more opportunities to make the team and grow as players - every player that has been brought up over the past few years seems to be shoved into a third line grinder type role to start and then they are benched when they don't excel at that type of game.
Maybe Erixon just wanted to play in New York, maybe he just didn't want to play in Calgary and while the trade that was made will do the best for the Flames given their options at the time - in the long run the real winners are going to be the Rangers who have a very solid young defensive core.
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Since when is the third line for grinders? That's what the 4th line is for, and even those aren't just for girnders anymore. Just about every successful team has a scoring third line. Yes, they have to be defensively responsible, but unless your drafted by a lottery team, that's they way it is in the NHL. Seguin plays mostly on the 4th line in Boston, for example, but if he's having an exceptionally strong game, he gets some glipses of higher lines and power play time. There are countless more examples of player being treated this way in the NHL. As they develop and assert themselves more, they become top 6 players if they can produce well enough. Someone demonstrated that players who consistently produce above (2.6pt/60) consistenly become top 6 players, and though who can't maintain that, fall out of the top 6 or don't make it at all.
Finally, last I checked, Backlund's development is right on track compared to the players that were drafted in his ball park in 07 and already in the NHL. Development takes time, but as long as they can hold their own they will stick. Ryan Kesler's wan't put into a top 6 role to start his NHL career either, but by continuous improvement, he's now considered a number 1 centre. Backlund first full year NHL numbers are higher than Kesler's were in his first full year for example.