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Backlund interview in Swedish.....translated by google.

"It's not about money, the financial aspect is secondary to me. It's more me who sits and thinks about the future and what I want to do, says Mikael Backlund when Hockeysverige.se meet him in connection with the NHL Awards in Nashville, where he was awarded the King Clancy Memorial Trophy for his humanitarian efforts in society.

"I've been in Calgary for a very long time and love the city and have had a great time there, but we haven't gone as far in the playoffs as you would have liked. It's my responsibility too, so I don't blame others. But you think about it and what happened last year.

The Flames lost big stars Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk last summer.

"There were three great leaders and profiles in the team who disappeared and that changed the dynamic. It was a big change," says Backlund, who also counts defenseman Erik Gudbranson among the lost key players.

"The new guys who came in are all good guys, but we didn't get it right early and everyone should find their place. We didn't get it right. It was a tough season, a big disappointment. There was a lot of ups and downs. We were able to play great in one game and then we coddled the next and the next. It became a bit of a vicious circle that was difficult to get out of. It became very negative.

After the season, reports have trickled out that it was not only between him (Sutter) and Huberdeau, but with large parts of the squad

"There wasn't really much difference between him (Sutter)," says Mikael Backlund.
"The difference was that we lost. When you win, that leadership style works, but when you lose, you don't sync as well. There is a lot of negative leadership and it can be tough. We had the same leadership the year before, but when you win, maybe you can live with that. If you lose, the negative leadership becomes tougher.

On Huska

"He's a good person who's smart and has a good hockey brain. He has shown over the years that he has a good drive, loves hockey and wants to win. He cares about Calgary and wants us to get back to being a top team again. I've worked a lot with him, especially in boxplay, and I believe in him as a coach," Backlund said of Huska, who has been in the Flames organization since 2014.

"I'm looking forward with Conroy, Huska and the new leadership staff, which I think will be great. Then we will see what we come up with. That's how I think and that's where I stand.

https://hockeysverige.se/2023/07/03/...calgary-flames