Lets Talk About Mr. Backlund

[devo22]

True. He's been a consistent .5 ppg player though, which is pretty much the same.

[SuperMatt18]

Backlund is a good 2nd/3rd line tweener that can drive possession, is a strong PKer, and chips in between 0.5 & 0.6 ppg.

People seem to harp on him because he was a 1st round who was supposed to be a number 1 center but in reality he has developed into a really strong player for a guy who was taken late in the first round.

He needs to start his seasons better but overall his game really helps this team.

[Imported_Aussie]

Backlund is the perfect guy to have as a 3rd line centre behind Monahan and Bennett. He can take on the tough matchups, kill penalties and chip in secondary scoring. He is a 0.50 PPG pace guy, and even though he hasn't hit 40 points yet, now that his injuries seem more behind him, he should this year.
I would even say that the Flames may have even found their 3rd line for next season - Colborne - Backlund - Frolik

[Hot_Flatus]

Originally Posted by Imported_Aussie

Backlund is the perfect guy to have as a 3rd line centre behind Monahan and Bennett. He can take on the tough matchups, kill penalties and chip in secondary scoring. He is a 0.50 PPG pace guy, and even though he hasn't hit 40 points yet, now that his injuries seem more behind him, he should this year.
I would even say that the Flames may have even found their 3rd line for next season - Colborne - Backlund - Frolik

Over his time here Colborne has way too often been a passenger. For some reason he gets props for that from way too man fans. I see a winger that is overly reluctant to use his size, rarely enters the tough areas and has a Tanguay esq approach to shooting the puck.

Surely we have a similar option available for that role that we can bring up on a ELC or can snag a player for less that provides a little more to the team on a consistent basis.

[Bingo]

40 points is a less productive 2nd line center or a hyper productive 3rd line center, which I think fits Backlund to a "T"

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by troutman

I heard that too, and thought they were being really unfair.

Yeah that's why I posted it because they were of the opinion that his play of late didn't matter and dismissed it as playing well when the pressure is off. Kind of stuck out to me as overly negative. There may be a bit of truth to that but we won't know until next season as if he starts off ice cold for the first half of the season when the team needs him I suppose they will be more right than wrong.

Most know I'm not his biggest supporter as he's frustrated the heck of me as a fan and it's not like I ever had 1st line expectations but I was hoping that he could be a consistent 40-50 point 2-way player to which he has only shown flashes while at other times he's been pretty awful or a non-factor and maybe that's were Warrener and Boomer were coming. I think I can take a step back and accept that we have seen players on the Oilers in the past play well this time of year and it rarely amounts to anything the next season so I'm not going to spend the offseason pencilling him in as a solution for anything until I see him bring it from game one of the season on.

[1qqaaz]

Originally Posted by Imported_Aussie

Backlund is the perfect guy to have as a 3rd line centre behind Monahan and Bennett. He can take on the tough matchups, kill penalties and chip in secondary scoring. He is a 0.50 PPG pace guy, and even though he hasn't hit 40 points yet, now that his injuries seem more behind him, he should this year.
I would even say that the Flames may have even found their 3rd line for next season - Colborne - Backlund - Frolik

Backlund and Frolik are the most productive forwards on the team after Gaudreau, Monahan, and Bennett. I don't see how they're not second liners on our team next season. Especially when they are so reliable and all-around.

Colborne is a bit of a passenger, but he is much more consistent offensively than Ferland, Stajan, Jooris, Bollig, etc. I think he's a solid third liner. I don't think he'll ask for much money.

Do you guys think that Backlund will have injury problems his whole career, or are his health problems truly behind him? In my eyes, injury-prone players are kind of like small players. You can have a few of them on your team, but if you have too many, the entire team can be shut down at times.

[Imported_Aussie]

Originally Posted by Hot_Flatus

Over his time here Colborne has way too often been a passenger. For some reason he gets props for that from way too man fans. I see a winger that is overly reluctant to use his size, rarely enters the tough areas and has a Tanguay esq approach to shooting the puck.

Surely we have a similar option available for that role that we can bring up on a ELC or can snag a player for less that provides a little more to the team on a consistent basis.

I think it comes down to expectations. If he was a clear cut top 6 forward, there is no way he would have been available, let alone for a 4th round pick. When he was brought in, right away it was said he would be a valuable 3rd line guy as his likely peak. But due to the transitional nature of this roster, he has too often been played above his head.
I feel he has had enough good moments, and in this division, size is needed.

He plays on the periphery at times, then he plays a strong game in the playoffs last year. I don't think we know yet what we have in Colborne, and being that he is RFA, a "show-me" deal with the incentive being to cash in when he hits UFA may be a good move.

Obviously, if he is the piece needed in a trade to address the top 6, you make that deal, but I think he still has utility on this roster.

And back to Backlund - I think he is a good player to pair with Colborne, as he plays a good, solid game, and Colborne bring the size to that line which would be asked to match up on big pacific lines

I also see the Backlund unit as 3rd line, but a better description may be 2B - with Bennett still growing into his role and likely another young top end prospect being brought on, I would think the lines would have similar amounts of ice time, but having the 2B line means you can control the younger group's zone starts and matchups

[Hot_Flatus]

Originally Posted by Bingo

40 points is a less productive 2nd line center or a hyper productive 3rd line center, which I think fits Backlund to a "T"

If Backlund and Frolik play as main cogs on a third line, it would pretty much mean you are deep enough to be considered a top tier team in the NHL.

Hope the team can make that happen sooner then later. They are both very well suited to that role.

[Hot_Flatus]

Originally Posted by Imported_Aussie

I think it comes down to expectations. If he was a clear cut top 6 forward, there is no way he would have been available, let alone for a 4th round pick. When he was brought in, right away it was said he would be a valuable 3rd line guy as his likely peak. But due to the transitional nature of this roster, he has too often been played above his head.
I feel he has had enough good moments, and in this division, size is needed.

He plays on the periphery at times, then he plays a strong game in the playoffs last year. I don't think we know yet what we have in Colborne, and being that he is RFA, a "show-me" deal with the incentive being to cash in when he hits UFA may be a good move.

Obviously, if he is the piece needed in a trade to address the top 6, you make that deal, but I think he still has utility on this roster.

And back to Backlund - I think he is a good player to pair with Colborne, as he plays a good, solid game, and Colborne bring the size to that line which would be asked to match up on big pacific lines

I also see the Backlund unit as 3rd line, but a better description may be 2B - with Bennett still growing into his role and likely another young top end prospect being brought on, I would think the lines would have similar amounts of ice time, but having the 2B line means you can control the younger group's zone starts and matchups

I get that he brings some elements to the table with his size and shootout skills. If he is actually limited to that third line role and not bouncing around between the PP and second line I think fans will be less inclined to want him back at all to be honest.

I don't see the willingness to compete like Backlund/Frolik consistently do in his game. If he dedicates himself to continue playing like he has the last few games then I might start thinking differently. As it stands now I believe this is simply another blip on his radar that makes us all think we have more than we do in him. I've seen it too many times.

[Fan in Exile]

Originally Posted by Imported_Aussie

Backlund is the perfect guy to have as a 3rd line centre behind Monahan and Bennett. He can take on the tough matchups, kill penalties and chip in secondary scoring. He is a 0.50 PPG pace guy, and even though he hasn't hit 40 points yet, now that his injuries seem more behind him, he should this year.
I would even say that the Flames may have even found their 3rd line for next season - Colborne - Backlund - Frolik

I would be really happy with a third line of Colborne-Backlund-Frolik. The problem is that despite the fact that they are all 30-40 point guys, they are currently 3rd, 5th and 6th in Flames' forward scoring (excluding Hudler) with no other forward with more than 12 points. Who are the three players who will fill the holes on the first two lines apart from Gaudreau, Monahan and Bennett?

Three of your top six forwards and a number one goaltender are some pretty gaping holes to fill for any team. And that's assuming Bennett continues to develop and steps up. Lots of reason to think he will but hardly a given.

I think in a rebuild, you have to hope that at least one or two of those three guys take the next step up and can be top six players. They all show the possibility but don't have consistency.

Backlund is not a steady 0.5 ppg player. He had one point through the first thirteen games of the season - one point as a our second line centre. He has had 17 points in the last twenty games. So at times he has no offensive upside at all and currently he is at 0.85 points a game. Clearly he has the ability to be better than he has been for long stretches throughout his career. The times when Backlund has been really good have been late in the year when the Flames are out of it. These stretches have teased us into thinking he can be a solid second line centre. He deserves criticism for his inconsistency. He deserves criticism for giving us nothing at the beginning of the season. As I recall he was terrible defensively at the beginning of the season as well. What's wrong with wanting him to be the player he is at this point of the season on a more consistent basis?

[JayP]

Originally Posted by Fan in Exile

I would be really happy with a third line of Colborne-Backlund-Frolik. The problem is that despite the fact that they are all 30-40 point guys, they are currently 3rd, 5th and 6th in Flames' forward scoring (excluding Hudler) with no other forward with more than 12 points. Who are the three players who will fill the holes on the first two lines apart from Gaudreau, Monahan and Bennett?

Three of your top six forwards and a number one goaltender are some pretty gaping holes to fill for any team. And that's assuming Bennett continues to develop and steps up. Lots of reason to think he will but hardly a given.

I think in a rebuild, you have to hope that at least one or two of those three guys take the next step up and can be top six players. They all show the possibility but don't have consistency.

Backlund is not a steady 0.5 ppg player. He had one point through the first thirteen games of the season - one point as a our second line centre. He has had 17 points in the last twenty games. So at times he has no offensive upside at all and currently he is at 0.85 points a game. Clearly he has the ability to be better than he has been for long stretches throughout his career. The times when Backlund has been really good have been late in the year when the Flames are out of it. These stretches have teased us into thinking he can be a solid second line centre. He deserves criticism for his inconsistency. He deserves criticism for giving us nothing at the beginning of the season. As I recall he was terrible defensively at the beginning of the season as well. What's wrong with wanting him to be the player he is at this point of the season on a more consistent basis?

There's no such thing as a consistent 40 point player. It's why they are 40 point players.

Regardless, Backlund's "inconsistency" (if you can call it that) likely draws heavily into his role on the team. He gets a lot of defensive zone faceoffs against the other team's best lines. The quality of the opposition he's getting matched up against on a given stretch is going to impact his scoring. You go through a California road trip and get matched up against Kopitar/Getzlaf/Thornton ideally - you simply aren't going to put up a lot of points.

And he gets 2nd unit powerplay time too. That's where most "consistent" scorers pad their numbers. Give Backlund first unit powerplay time and he starts getting the odd second assist more often. I'm not suggesting that's a good idea, but that's usually what separates what people perceive as consistent scorers from everyone else.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Originally Posted by 1qqaaz

Backlund and Frolik are the most productive forwards on the team after Gaudreau, Monahan, and Bennett. I don't see how they're not second liners on our team next season. Especially when they are so reliable and all-around.

Colborne is a bit of a passenger, but he is much more consistent offensively than Ferland, Stajan, Jooris, Bollig, etc. I think he's a solid third liner. I don't think he'll ask for much money.

Do you guys think that Backlund will have injury problems his whole career, or are his health problems truly behind him? In my eyes, injury-prone players are kind of like small players. You can have a few of them on your team, but if you have too many, the entire team can be shut down at times.

It is tough to say. What makes me feel he isn't much of a concern health-wise is that he doesn't appear to have any repetitive injuries. For instance, he doesn't have a bad knee, or concussion issues, etc.

It is like Giordano. Yes, he hasn't played a full season in a few years, but looking at his injury history, there is nothing that stands out as something that could be a cause for concern moving forward.

Some guys have a few years of 'tough luck' where different injuries strike them, and they get labeled as 'injury prone', but then suddenly a few seasons have passed and you suddenly realize that a player you had pegged as injury prone has been very healthy.

Even guys who have significant risks in the past like Bergeron or even Crosby have been symptom free and healthy after battling through concussions that many thought would end their careers.

Even a guy like Saku Koivu - I had him pegged as 'done' in 1999-2000 for sure after years of injury-riddled seasons, and then cancer. Came back and played another 13 seasons, many of which he didn't miss too much time.

You just never know really. The positive is that it doesn't appear Backlund suffers from anything repetitive or serious thus far in his career, so I would be hesitant to label him as injury prone moving forward.

[handgroen]

Originally Posted by FBI

banned (thank goodness)
But I think somebody came around recently saying Colborne is going to be in the KHL in a year so maybe WRUCOS is back.

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

By Warrener and Boomer were pretty hard on him this morning asking where was this play at the beginning of the season when the games counted. I'll look on the positive side in that even if he's playing better when the games don't count and the pressure is off at least it's something to build off. They are right in that he really has to start off a season better if the Flames are going to have success next season but better him playing well now than simply having an awful season going into the summer.

Wrucos was boomer, mirroring opinions also uncommon opinions. I'm sure whoever is preaching colborne to the khl is also mirroring boomers weird flames takes.

Also once you have identified your young core there is no advantage to having them lose every chance they get after your out of the playoff race. We have a young core and those players should be playing hungry every damned game.

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by Fan in Exile

Backlund is not a steady 0.5 ppg player.

Last 241 Games (Incl Playoffs):
52G
71A
123P

123 ÷ 241 = 0.51037344398340248962655601659751

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Originally Posted by Hot_Flatus

Over his time here Colborne has way too often been a passenger. For some reason he gets props for that from way too man fans. I see a winger that is overly reluctant to use his size, rarely enters the tough areas and has a Tanguay esq approach to shooting the puck.

Surely we have a similar option available for that role that we can bring up on a ELC or can snag a player for less that provides a little more to the team on a consistent basis.

I don't really mind your take on Colborne as a whole, but it's that last comment that continuously blows my mind around these parts. You are worried about the props Colborne gets from some fans, I'm worried at just how easy many fans around here think our non star players are to replace.

No, we don't have very many options on an ELC that will do what Colborne does. Say what you want about him, but we aren't flush with NHL ready talent on the forward ranks, and certainly not ones that are ready to play the consistent shifts Colborne plays and puts up the numbers he does (he's going to score 15 goals + this year).

Totally fair to suggest that Colborne's play is inconsistent (that's why he's not a top 6 forward) and even fair to suggest that he's maybe not the "type" of player you'd like on our 3rd line, but he's not easily replaced by most guys on ELC. You have to make sure you don't overpay a Colborne for sure, or over commit, but the Flames current roster, including players on the farm is better with Colborne in it than not, he's a top 12 forward in this organization right now, no question about it.

[devo22]

yup.

2012-13 | 16 points in 32 games | 0.50 ppg
2013-14 | 39 points in 76 games | 0.51 ppg
2014-15 | 27 points in 52 games | 0.52 ppg
2015-16 | 39 points in 70 games | 0.56 ppg

I get the "he is not a 40 point guy" because of semantics, but if you score at or above 0.5 ppg for four straight years, you are a consistent 0.5 ppg scorer. Period.

[Fan in Exile]

Originally Posted by devo22

yup.

2012-13 | 16 points in 32 games | 0.50 ppg
2013-14 | 39 points in 76 games | 0.51 ppg
2014-15 | 27 points in 52 games | 0.52 ppg
2015-16 | 39 points in 70 games | 0.56 ppg

I get the "he is not a 40 point guy" because of semantics, but if you score at or above 0.5 ppg for four straight years, you are a consistent 0.5 ppg scorer. Period.

Fair enough. My point is that he goes through lengthy slumps where he scores at a very low rate and lengthy periods where he can produce at much higher than 0.5 ppg. The Flames are not deep enough that we can afford for him to go scoreless in 12 of the first 13 games of the year. His strong play now is no substitute for that.

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by Fan in Exile

Fair enough. My point is that he goes through lengthy slumps where he scores at a very low rate

As do most 0.50 PPG scorers. Especially those who get second unit PP time.

and lengthy periods where he can produce at much higher than 0.5 ppg.

As do most 0.50 PPG scorers. Especially those who get second unit PP time.

The Flames are not deep enough that we can afford for him to go scoreless in 12 of the first 13 games of the year.

The Flames are tied for 7th through 14th in goals per game. Right there in an eight-way tie with the Islanders, Panthers, Blackhawks, Kings, Predators, Penguins and Lightning. Seven playoff teams.

His strong play now is no substitute for that.

Obviously. Johnny Gaudreau, TJ Brodie, Sean Monahan, Sam Bennett, Mark Giordano, and competent goaltending/possession oriented defensive play are a substitute for that. Just as the primary scoring of other team's scorers is a substitute for other teams' 0.5 PPG scorers.

[Fan in Exile]

Look, Backlund is an important player for the Flames. Ideally, Bennett takes the next step up and becomes a solid number 1/2 with Monahan and Backlund can be our #3 centre. And at that point I don't expect him to do anything other than maintain his current level of play. But don't tell me that his slow start wasn't a problem this season. There were bigger problems, most notably our goaltending and our defence with Brodie out, Gio finding his game again and Hamilton adjusting but the Flames needed much more out of him at the start of the season. Do you think we sit in a playoff spot after 13 games if Backlund has one point in 13 games next season? I don't.