Backlund is not a 4th liner, he is an above average 2-way center that should slot into any teams middle 6.
Backlund has always been one of my favourites as I knew he would develop into a 2nd/3rd line center back when he was a prospect. Just had a feeling about him. Having said that he is getting older and I think Lindholm is a superior player, both offensively and defensively so he isn’t required to be leaned on as much as in past years.
I feel like he is a player who we could consider offloading, especially if it could somehow net us a top 6 RWer.
I don’t see it happening as the organization will likely keep him and Gio around for as long as they want to be here but I don’t think it’s crazy to talk about maximizing his value in a trade, especially before the expansion draft.
|