Quote:
Originally Posted by dissentowner
No, for one half of the year he is not a 3rd liner, he is a 4th liner. Then the other half he is a 1st liner. The last two post seasons he has not been great either. At his current contract I have doubts Seattle would claim him but if they did I would be more than ok with dumping that contract. That cap space is more valuable to this team than what an inconsistent Backlund brings imo.
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I am sorry, but this is nonsense.
At his absolute worst, Backlund is still MUCH better than a fourth-line player, and at his best he has looked for extended periods like a top-line centre. He has not been playing well to start the year, and yet he has still easily been among the Flames top-nine. Moreover, his last playoff appearance was actually much better than you seem to remember: Backlund tied Sam Bennett as the highest scoring EVS forward on the team—the same Bennett whom a few posters on this site have called "electric" as a result.
He is under contract for three years, and is a lock for +45 points in a season with heavy defensive zone starts. Seattle will not be anywhere near the cap for a few seasons, so I would imagine his salary won't be much of a concern to them, and he could probably be moved for quality assets at a future TD.