Quote:
Originally Posted by CsInMyBlood
If you really think Backlund will be a 4th line center going forward you obviously don't watch him or the Flames play very closely. Stick to making Canuck line-ups where you might look like you know what you're talking about.
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Thanks, bitter flames fan, but pay attention to what I'm saying because we're on the same page. That's sort of my point - Backlund is CLEARLY not a first line centre, but it's not out of the question to play him at any other centre spot in the lineup. In other words, I have Barkov (or Mackinnon) in the 2C spot, largely because I really think Barkov is NHL-ready and his skillset is best served in that role. But if the guy the Flames get isn't a Centre, or isn't ready right off the hop next year, Backlund is a serviceable if not great number 2 centre. Hell, in a pinch, Stajan can play that role too.
Everyone thinks the centre position is the weak one for the Flames, but realistically they're just missing top-end talent there. Top end centre talent is acquireable. ELITE centre talent is hard to come by, but you can get a guy to play serviceably in the #1 spot. 2-3-4, there are players in the system to fill those roles immediately and potentially in the future.
So if you want to re-do that lineup as BLANK-Backlund-Stajan-Reinhart, or BLANK-Stajan-Backlund-Horak, go right ahead. The point stands, it's not an apocalypse scenario and the foundation for a rebuild is in my (completely objective as a non-Flames fan) view not as dire as some seem to think.