Backlund is a very important player for this team. He might not be your classic #1 or maybe not even your #2 center in terms of offensive firepower. But he might be the team's most dependable and reliable player up the middle.
He defends well, is hard to play against, gets all the tough matchups, can exit and enter the zone with the puck with aplomb and supports the offensive game. For a coach, I'm sure when he's on the ice, there's just that feeling of comfort knowing that he'll push the play in a positive way to help the team win the shift or set up the next line for success.
Backlund doesn't get nearly the credit he deserves for the player he is. But I know I'm glad he's on the team and if we can ever find him a great finisher who can play on both sides of the puck, then his productivity should rise in congruence. Just look at his even strength points in relation to the rest of the team. For the difficult situations he has to play in each game, he's right up there with the Fab 5 of this team.
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