Interesting that folks in here think Backlund opting out might force a rebuild. Not saying that's wrong, but my perspective on this was him opting out might of been a blessing in disguise regardless of if we were in win now mode or rebuild.
And I say this as someone who feels like Backlund, especially with playoffs, has been a huge asset / exceeds expectations player we've had in a years. But he's not someone you can put up as a #1 center (like Lindholm), so you can't build around him. He's a key accessory piece that teams need to win, but I've assumed always his next contract would be too much, and he's too "mature" in years to make it worth it. The Flames opportunity to take advantage of having a Backlund on your roster as a #3 centre has come and gone.
Whether we are in win now mode, or rebuild, feels like Backlund opting out might be the best thing for a club that tends not to optimize value out of expiring resources, especially those that have that "life long Flame" tag that someone like Backlund does.
That said, I really think Lindholm is the only one opting out that could force the orgs hand on rebuild vs. not, IMO he's the only one important enough to the big picture to force that.
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