As much as I think it was a great pick by Darryl Sutter, I also think Sutter’s comments and hype of Backlund as the future Center we had long desired has a lot to do with the majority of fans taking so long to appreciate Backlund. If I’m not mistaken, I remember Sutter saying he wouldn’t rush Backlund into the NHL until he was ready for a top six roll because he didn’t want him wasting away as a 3rd or 4th liner with minimum minutes, so naturally fans expected him to be a future top line Center for Iggy.
Even though he isn’t a first line center, he’s almost as valuable to this team as one would be. I’m so glad he’s a Flame.
|