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Originally Posted by Fire of the Phoenix
It's because we're a small team that has loads of depth down the middle, it's nothing against Backlund as a player. Bouma and Ferland are unique players for this team in that they are big, can hit and add some scoring. No other player offers this on the current roster besides Colborne and Jones (and they are much less physical).
Personally I think Backlund OR Stajan should go as soon as Bennett is ready to take over the 2nd line center spot. Can't have both Backlund and Stajan on the team long term, especially if Shore, Arnold or Jankowski make the team by 16/17 or sooner in Shore's case. It will probably come down to which player management prefers as a 3rd/4th line center, or maybe they keep Backlund as move him to the wing in a depth role.
Backlund is very good defensively, but I'm not sure that's going to be enough to keep him here long term, given his very pedestrian offensive abilities. It's a classic numbers game scenario, and it's a good problem to have. We are just not used to this as Flames fans, but it's basically business as usual for any successful team. Good players have to be moved to make room for other good players that fit the team better.
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My surprise comes from the fact that Backlund has received a lot of praise from both his coach and general manager. All signs point towards an extension - and I wouldn't be surprised if he'll be the first we'll hear about.
Backlund is an imperfect player, but to criticize him for not shutting down Ryan Getzlaf, arguably a top 3 centre in the league, is not fair. There are four other players on a line. People seem to be upset that he's not putting up 50+ points, and while I think he's capable of that one day, that's not really his game. Vermette isn't much bigger, if at all, and he's made an effective career out of his game.
Backlund's game makes life easier for a lot of players. I don't know if Bennett is ready to step into a top 6 role next season, and even if he is, Backlund would look really good getting minutes on the 3rd line and on the PK.