Quote:
Originally Posted by GranteedEV
Also about the only 1.5 seasons he's gotten the linemates and ice time needed to succeed. For the entirety of his career, his #1 5v5 ice time linemate is still Lance Bouma, and we all know how Hartley buried him early on.
You don't worry about how you're going to keep probably the best centre on your roster. Backlund of all people is in every way a core player. You make it work for your core players.
There is really no issue.
Also it's a lot more than 1.5 seasons. Yes his recent spike in production helps him, but he still averages 45 points per 82 games over his last 281 NHL GP. That's a huge sample of success, and his success goes far beyond his point production. 45 points is very much 2C production. It's a solid enough sample to base his next contract around, even if there is some inflation due to his recent production spike, which is anything but a fluke.
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Id still start with a Frolik contract offer none of this changes my mind. Great player often injured finally putting it all together for A little over a season. I'm still offering 4.2 to 4.8. We need another top 4 D man and a right wing. I think Backlund would be the perfect candidate for a bit of a discount. The flames drafted him and stuck with him his whole career even when he was injured every other season and didn't live up to his initial hype. I still wouldn't be offering more than 5mill.