2023/2024 Trade Rumors and Speculation Thread

[Niemo]

There’s no way Backlund gets 5MM right? Makes no sense to me…..
Most I would pay on a 2 year is 3.75MM… seasons 35 and 36 yr old….. and he wants to win. I’d do 10MM x 3 yrs.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by Niemo

There’s no way Backlund gets 5MM right? Makes no sense to me…..
Most I would pay on a 2 year is 3.75MM… seasons 35 and 36 yr old….. and he wants to win. I’d do 10MM x 3 yrs.

He may well get $5M AAV on a 2 year deal.

[ForeverFlameFan]

Backlund is the guy that I’d rather NOT sign…. Ugh.

I’d only sign him if we got some assets, he chases his cup, and then comes back.

[Enoch Root]

That would be great news. If it's a 2 yr deal, I would imagine it will have a 5 handle.

[Heavy Jack]

Backlund at 2 x 4.5 with the captaincy is my hope; he puts up 60+ if he is given the captaincy me thinks, he’s wanted it for so long the rush of finally getting it will show us a different Backlund who will be consistent for the whole season.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Heavy Jack

Backlund at 2 x 4.5 with the captaincy is my hope; he puts up 60+ if he is given the captaincy me thinks, he’s wanted it for so long the rush of finally getting it will show us a different Backlund who will be consistent for the whole season.

But if you're Backlund, and the discussion is captaincy, and there's an expectation for 60 points, do you sign for 2 X $4.5M? I mean, yeah, that would be awesome. But Backlund, right now, is a $6M player. A 2 year deal at about $5.5M seems pretty fair. Anything less than that would be a bonus.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by Heavy Jack

Backlund at 2 x 4.5 with the captaincy is my hope; he puts up 60+ if he is given the captaincy me thinks, he’s wanted it for so long the rush of finally getting it will show us a different Backlund who will be consistent for the whole season.

Hard to imagine that many points unless Lindholm gets traded and he's moved up with significant PP time.

[Jaydee]

remember when backlund absolutely flubbed his breakaway/open net on mike smith vs the oil in the playoffs? Where we could have run away with the series? I remember. Not clutch at all

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by Niemo

There’s no way Backlund gets 5MM right? Makes no sense to me…..
Most I would pay on a 2 year is 3.75MM… seasons 35 and 36 yr old….. and he wants to win. I’d do 10MM x 3 yrs.

What 56 point strong defensive centre is signing that contract (in Calgary)? No one.

I’ve been plenty critical of Backlund, but good grief there is a massive disconnect when it comes to assigning a contract value to what he brings. Backlund is actively proving he’s effective at his age. He’s not signing some $3M stinker contract out of loyalty to the team.

[Heavy Jack]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

Hard to imagine that many points unless Lindholm gets traded and he's moved up with significant PP time.

He put up 56 last year with both Lindholm and Kadri in front of him; throw in a new PP/offensive coach with Savard and Backs likely being the center on the 2nd unit and I don’t think it’s that far fetched. Especially if Backs gets the adrenaline rush of finally officially becoming captain.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Heavy Jack

Backlund at 2 x 4.5 with the captaincy is my hope; he puts up 60+ if he is given the captaincy me thinks, he’s wanted it for so long the rush of finally getting it will show us a different Backlund who will be consistent for the whole season.

It would be great to see him hit 60, but that is not reasonable considering he has never hit that mark and at his age a decline is more likely than an ascension in productivity.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

45+ points is ideal for Backlund.

In the 3C role that's outstanding and you also now that he is elevating his linemates in the process.

I just want to see backs hit 1000 games in red as someone his age who has followed his whole career.

Him moving on before that would've been disappointing.

[D as in David]

Originally Posted by Heavy Jack

He put up 56 last year with both Lindholm and Kadri in front of him; throw in a new PP/offensive coach with Savard and Backs likely being the center on the 2nd unit and I don’t think it’s that far fetched. Especially if Backs gets the adrenaline rush of finally officially becoming captain.

Backs centering PP2 with a sniper like Coronato added into the mix?

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

You keep repeating this "Half year off" narrative that just isn't true.

Sure some years his offensive production was better in the second half, but generally he's still strong analytically and defensively all season.

It absolutely is true, every year the GT's in the early part of the season are full of posters bitching about Backlund game. There is a reason everybody calls him "second half Backs". Go do your homework on every season but last year and you will see.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Heavy Jack

He put up 56 last year with both Lindholm and Kadri in front of him.

If I remember correctly for the majority of the season he played ahead of Kadri as 2nd line C.

[D as in David]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

It absolutely is true, every year the GT's in the early part of the season are full of posters bitching about Backlund game. There is a reason everybody calls him "second half Backs". Go do your homework on every season but last year and you will see.

Maybe it's us posters who aren't on our game early in the season?

[Ashasx]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

You keep repeating this "Half year off" narrative that just isn't true.

Sure some years his offensive production was better in the second half, but generally he's still strong analytically and defensively all season.

Backlund is also the only Flame who actually raised his game the last few times the Flames made the playoffs. Everyone else seemed to play worse.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by D as in David

Maybe it's us posters who aren't on our game early in the season?

Ya, I don't think so. Historically Backlund is a slow starter. Hopefully last year is the new norm because we will need him to start strong this year.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

Backlund is also the only Flame who actually raised his game the last few times the Flames made the playoffs. Everyone else seemed to play worse.

That I can't deny.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

If I remember correctly for the majority of the season he played ahead of Kadri as 2nd line C.

Kadri played mostly with Huberdeau.

The only reason that Backlund 'played ahead' of him, was because he played as well as anyone on the team - he was, along with Toffoli, their best forward.

Pretty good for a 3rd line C, I would say.