Prior to this season I was one of those posters who questioned Backlund's upside and thought Feaster should look towards trading him if the right trade was there. But I think it's too late now. I'm probably wrong here, but I don't see Backlund having much trade value at this present time as his slow start to the season has really stunted any hope that Backlund was about to blossom so there's no point trading him now.
I honestly thought that Backlund would find himself outside of the NHL by age 30, but I saw some positive improvements from Backlund last season to suggest that if he can stay healthy he can be a strong possession player. At $1.5M cap hit for this season and the next and an RFA after that, Backlund's contract is a good one even for a player who can drive possession from the 3rd line and fill in among the top 6 when needed.
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