Holy crap, some of the comparisons here for Backlund are ridiculous. Bonino is a bit low, but Kesler and Bergeron are way out of Backlund's class. Having to push for a comparison, Backlund is a lot closer to Bonino than he is to the other two.
Bonino - 429 GP, 81G (.188 GPG), 113A, 194PT (.452 PPG).
Backlund - 495 GP, 101G (.204 GPG), 146A, 247P (.499 PPG)
Kesler - 897 GP, 245G (.273 GPG), 306A, 551P (.614 PPG)
Bergeron - 926, 267G (.288 GPG), 426A, 693P (.748 PPG)
Yes, Backlund is a good player. Yes, Backlund is valuable to the team. But you have to measure what his value is going forward and what you are willing to pay for his services. Backlund is projected to hit 17G and 46P, so a step backwards in production. He's also coming up on the big 3-0. He's going to start trending down, and as age catches up to him, may revert to his injury prone days. These have to be considered when thinking value. I'm in the camp that is thinking a max of $5.5 cap hit, with a term no longer than 5 years. Anything more than that, or longer that that, and you are likely to handcuff the team. If he want more than that deal him for assets lost last summer, and go shopping in free agency this summer. There are players that can fill his skates, especially if he looks to be a third liner long term. That is not a slam at Backlund, just recognizing the reality of the game today and the influence the cap has on managing the club.
|