[Machiavelli]

“We talked to (Backlund) and he feels he could be in and so does the medical staff,” said Flames head coach Bob Hartley. “There’s no sense putting him in this morning. You guys and I will find out at the same time. We called up Granlund in case Backs can’t go.”

“I talk with Troy on a weekly basis,” Hartley said. “There are quite a few guys (performing) right now. We wanted a centreman in the event Backs can’t go. It might be just for tonight, it might be for a couple of games. We don’t know. Markus Granlund has been playing very well and he deserves it.”

Although Hartley wouldn’t reveal the nature of Backlund’s injury, he didn’t seem overly concerned.

“Hey, we appreciate what players want to do,” he said. “A minor injury like this, the medical staff might say it’s his own decision. We feel there’s no big dangers and we’re approaching the midway point of the season. How many players aren’t playing at 100 per cent right now? If it would be the case, we might be short of players basically every game.

“We’ll trust Back’s judgement but if he feels he’s not capable of helping us, there is nothing wrong (with sitting). Especially at centre, with the battle we’ve been having with all our young centres, I’m sure no one wants to give up their spot. That’s a credit to them. But at the same time, we have to make sure we do the right thing.”

http://blogs.calgaryherald.com/2013/...om-abbotsford/