Quote:
Originally Posted by Erick Estrada
If the price for a goaltender like Matt Murray is Backlund you jump on that deal without hesitation. Backlund is in his prime and this season could very well represent his career season. I think Backlund is a useful player but as long as Jankowski is in the picture Backlund's career as a Flame has always been on borrowed time.
|
That's WAY too much. Show me a single goaltender traded in the past decade who has commanded this kind of return; to say nothing for one that has played a total of 12 NHL games.
While I agree that Backlund is not likely to improve, I also think he is very likely to maintain this level of play for the next four or five years. I think with Jankowski in the picture this actually sets the Flames in a very good position. He will not be anywhere near ready to fill Backlund's role for a few years, and by the time he is I expect Backlund to still have high enough of a trade value to return some pretty useful pieces.