Backlund is being over-rated. He’s a very good third line center, but you don’t pay third liners $5-6M on a long term contract and think you’re going to win anything. Backlund is being held up as this awesome two way center, but he’s second worst on the team in +/- at -6, behind the likes of Brouwer and Stajan, and is the worst Flames center in the face of dot at 48.6%. I’d like to keep the guy around, but he is proving to be worth no more than $4-5M per on a shorter term deal, less per on a long term deal.
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