Quote:
Originally Posted by Kolsch
Backlund is probably unreplaceable. Has a player ever got worse when playing with him? Normally he's been the reason the Colbornes and Boumas of the world get paid more than they ever could have without him. Every year his line seems to be our most consistent, and the perfect place to put a rookie to help them succeed. I remember when analytics started first hitting the scene, Backlund was always considered one of the best play drivers in the league. I have a hard time seeing this team competitive without him as well.
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Yep. Pretty much everyone he played with saw a noticeable uptick in play. Hubderdeau’s overall game improved vastly playing with #11. Backs fixed Mangiapane’s game as well after that rough first half. He and Lindholm are spectacular on the PK together.
I think a lot of teams will be knocking on the door to acquire Backlund and Lindholm. I could see teams offering up an absolute bounty for both these guys at 50% retention and/or extended.