[News] Flames name Backlund captain, announce two-year extension (2 years, $4.5m AAV)

[TheScorpion]

Originally Posted by ricardodw

Drafted 2nd overall in 2007 where Backlund was drafted #24. (same age) And scoring 100+ goals more than Backlund and playing close to the same amount of games JVR coming off a 7M contract signed with Boston for a year at 1M.

Nice to have Backlund as a 1000 game Flame but it was not a home town discount.

What?

[Icon]

I think he's saying Backlund should have signed a JVR type of contract, instead we overpaid.

When looking at goals only, sure there's some merit to that opinion.

But I'd rather have Backlund on my team at 4.5 than JVR on my team at any number... and that comes from someone who wanted to trade Backlund this summer, not re-sign him at all.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by ricardodw

Drafted 2nd overall in 2007 where Backlund was drafted #24. (same age) And scoring 100+ goals more than Backlund and playing close to the same amount of games JVR coming off a 7M contract signed with Boston for a year at 1M.

Nice to have Backlund as a 1000 game Flame but it was not a home town discount.

Who cares. It's not like we're in a window. Give the guy some money as a reward for being a heart and soul Flame for a decade and a half.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by ricardodw

Drafted 2nd overall in 2007 where Backlund was drafted #24. (same age) And scoring 100+ goals more than Backlund and playing close to the same amount of games JVR coming off a 7M contract signed with Boston for a year at 1M.

Nice to have Backlund as a 1000 game Flame but it was not a home town discount.

You don't sign a contract based on career stats. JVR was .46 PPG last year. Backlund was .68. And Backlund is a shutdown centre, JVR is a middle six winger.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by ricardodw

Drafted 2nd overall in 2007 where Backlund was drafted #24. (same age) And scoring 100+ goals more than Backlund and playing close to the same amount of games JVR coming off a 7M contract signed with Boston for a year at 1M.

Nice to have Backlund as a 1000 game Flame but it was not a home town discount.

If you just looked at production and ignored every other thing that Backlund brings to the table he'd be a discount.

Naming an irrelevant player doesn't change that.

He's 128th in points60 over the last three years. The 128th player in cap friendly for forwards this season is $5M, and the cap is going up next year.

Discount.

[VilleN]

It could also be that JVR had 29 pts last season at age 34 while Backlund had 56... so, it looks like JVR is falling off the age cliff while Backlund seems like a safe bet to be productive for the next couple of seasons at least. Also Backlund is a captain and often a Selke finalist.

[Redlan]

Originally Posted by Bingo

You and Nik both made condescending comments in this topic. Another poster has been jumping in with "see ... they don't know anything!" posts every second week.

It has nothing to do with like or dislike and you know it.

It's repeated snarky behaviour to people that make this site more interesting.

There wasn't anything childish in how I combatted the above.

It is really a lack of self awareness or empathy with the latest comments. One never really knows what is going on in someone's else's life, there are things that take precedent to breaking news on a forum.

[jayswin]

You guys humor Ricardow with responses, I don't get it.

[Coach]

I firmly believe this team, and Backlund himself, would have been better over the past few years if he had just been named captain after Gio like he should have.

There would have been no back and forth with Chucky/Johnny/Whoever with who should be captain. Sutter assigned some mystical aura to the Flames captaincy that just had this awkward feeling to it. Everyone on the team obviously respects him, and I think Tkachuk would have been fine playing here with him as captain for the first 5 years or so. I also think that even if they offered the current captaincy to anyone else they would have said no unless Backlund wasn't here. I HIGHLY doubt Andersson would have accepted it, usurping his respected countryman. It's not the Swedish way.


However, if he'd been captain this whole time, it'd probably feel okay to move on from him, or even have him bequeath it to someone else.

Sutter really messed that up IMO. I think Sutter, the on-ice tactician, still was top of his game. But the personnel side really passed him by.

[Shazam]

I met the couple that billeted Backlund. They said he was an upstanding individual.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by ricardodw

Drafted 2nd overall in 2007 where Backlund was drafted #24. (same age) And scoring 100+ goals more than Backlund and playing close to the same amount of games JVR coming off a 7M contract signed with Boston for a year at 1M.

Nice to have Backlund as a 1000 game Flame but it was not a home town discount.

Van Riemsdyk has 57 points in his last 3 seasons, TOTAL. Backlund had 56 LAST YEAR.

JVR: .286 PPG (last 3 years)
MB: .588

More than double.

[Heavy Jack]

Originally Posted by ricardodw

Drafted 2nd overall in 2007 where Backlund was drafted #24. (same age) And scoring 100+ goals more than Backlund and playing close to the same amount of games JVR coming off a 7M contract signed with Boston for a year at 1M.

Nice to have Backlund as a 1000 game Flame but it was not a home town discount.

We somehow have a worse take than Keenan in this thread lol, congrats RDW, same ole same ole

[Locke]

Originally Posted by ricardodw

Drafted 2nd overall in 2007 where Backlund was drafted #24. (same age) And scoring 100+ goals more than Backlund and playing close to the same amount of games JVR coming off a 7M contract signed with Boston for a year at 1M.

Nice to have Backlund as a 1000 game Flame but it was not a home town discount.

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by ricardodw

Drafted 2nd overall in 2007 where Backlund was drafted #24. (same age) And scoring 100+ goals more than Backlund and playing close to the same amount of games JVR coming off a 7M contract signed with Boston for a year at 1M.

Nice to have Backlund as a 1000 game Flame but it was not a home town discount.

Backlund's RGI factor is way better than JVRs. Hometown discount for sure

[FormerPresJamesTaylor]

When Backlund was named captain my first thought was "Who was drafted 2nd overall in 2007".

[butterfly]

Originally Posted by bdubbs

Can we get back to talking about Backlund? Nobody gets an award for being an #insiderrrrr nor does anyone get an award for outing a fake insider. We're all adults trying to find entertainment in a boring off season. I appreciate potential insider news, and as Bingo so aptly put it, if over time a person's insider posts don't bear any fruit, normal people just treat their future posts with more skepticism. What Keenan did was not normal.

I used to believe Sec214's insider posts a lot more than I do today, but I don't feel the need to drag him when he hasn't posted in a while about anything. That's just petty and childish.

Part of the entertainment is watching the bickering.

[D as in David]

Originally Posted by bdubbs

Can we get back to talking about Backlund? Nobody gets an award for being an #insiderrrrr nor does anyone get an award for outing a fake insider. We're all adults trying to find entertainment in a boring off season. I appreciate potential insider news, and as Bingo so aptly put it, if over time a person's insider posts don't bear any fruit, normal people just treat their future posts with more skepticism. What Keenan did was not normal.

Chronologically? Yes.

[rohara66]

So we're getting JVR?



Niiiiiice.

[gvitaly]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1707119218443915345

[Lonestar]

Originally Posted by Cleveland Steam Whistle

I'm not sure if I posted these thoughts, but I'll completely admit that my perspective on Backlund was a the Flames must trade and move on perspective at some point prior to the deadline this year.

That perspective wasn't formed from any dislike or undervalue of the player. All the amazing things said about him so far in this thread, I fully agree with, and I actually believe he's one of the few Flames who elevates his performance in meaningful and playoff games. So I figured we'd be a worse team with out him. My opinion to move on from him was driven from the simple belief that he would be getting 4+ years on his next deal, and north of $5M per (clearly my skills at reading the player market, are not strong).

I simply didn't think the Flames could afford to go term and that dollar value on a player that isn't a slam dunk first line player. But at this term and $ value, I couldn't be happier to have him back! Also, no brainer captain choice given he's signed.

Well said. These were my initial thoughts as well; I certainly didn't mean to stir the pot unnecessarily. The term and value on the Backlund extension seem like a win, however I had/have concerns that the team isn't moving beyond the old culture despite a brand-new front office and repeated dialogue all summer surrounding a new look.

Probably stems from my own disappointment that more steps weren't taken this offseason to start fresh and has less to do with Backlund as a player or leader.