Quote:
Originally Posted by Itse
Fair enough, he does stand out in something. Good for him.
The original question was whether or not he's going to be on the move this year. I think you can extend that to this season if that makes more sense.
So it's not so much a question of moving him right now, but a question of whether or not he should be considered a part of the future anymore.
It's obviously not going to be 100% either way. Even if he's listed as "to be traded", until the right deal comes along, he'll have time to prove himself. Even if he's considered a part of the future now, this could change if, for example, Corban Knight gets a look and manages to pass him in the lineup.
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I think that is a very fair assessment of him (and most of the roster) moving forward. I like a lot of things about Backlund, but I also don't think he is perfect. I do think that if he is to remain on this team long-term, he will have to develop in a few areas. If this was a contender, I don't see him being more than a depth call-up really.
I just think some prospects just need some further patience, and I think Backlund is such a case. He plays such a wonderful defensive and puck-possession game already (minus the faceoff ability unfortunately), that I think it would be a terrible idea to give up on him this season. I still would classify him in the 'over-payment' category if he was to be moved, and thus not likely to be traded.