Quote:
Originally Posted by Red Slinger
Backlund is a great example of why patience is required when drafting and developing players. Under a different regime the team may have given up on him and traded him for a "fresh start". Not all players develop in a linear fashion and we fans would be wise to show a little more patience.
Even now his game is so subtle. When you watch him play he doesn't really do anything outstanding. He doesn't dangle like Johnny, doesn't skate like a deer, doesn't have a blistering Ovechkin shot and he isn't a physical force. He just does everything well, works hard and understands what it takes to win games.
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Works hard and understands what it takes.... yes I was not a Backlund fan for a long time, but watching him in the last few years, man he always has that little extra effort on the boards to keep the puck for 2 extra seconds while a line change occurs, or just that little bit of battle at the net (ours or theirs). And he's snarly now, salty as hell,and that was really missing early on - he was looking like a Sedin-style player without the finish chops, and that was not a good thing. But add some snarl and some veteran smarts, and he is a huge asset.