Quote:
Originally Posted by Flash Walken
Backlund is the second line center and can't be relied on to produce on the powerplay.
That means there is a centre depth problem in my opinion. I'd you have elite goaltending and elite wingers, you can compensate for that. We'll see if that group ends up including tkachuk and Lindholm.
Since the start of last season, backlund has 11 points in 206 minutes of pp time. I don't know what that is as a rate, but it looks like it's less productive than jankowski minute to minute. Not a problem in and of itself, but it's a problem if there is no one else than can step up, which thus far hasn't been the case.
Most teams have a big discrepancy between their 1st and 2nd units, but I think Calgary's second unit is maybe a bit worse than it is to playoff teams around the league. Would love someone to chime in with stats on that.
Tkachuk and backlund still need a finisher because of that weakness. They can't carry a non producer and produce on their own, they need a third guy. Hopefully that's Neal.
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David Kreji has 16 PPP since the start of last year. Not much more than Backlund, and Backlund played on a bad powerplay.
I suspect a lot of second line centres get to play on the first PP unit, along with the first line centre.
I notice no one is mentioning LV or Nashville, the finalists in the last two years. Surely they are considered Stanley Cup Contenders for those years?