Rhetzky wants to have a chat about the Captain

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by fotze2

I always wonder if “the appearance of effort” clouds it. Evaluating at Glenlake for ten years and getting better at it, looking gangbusters, swinging your arms, bad skating technique. Lidstrom looked like a lazy tit if you don’t know his resume. I recall Jordon Tootoo or Sheldon Kennedy flailing arms but were turnips in the head. Can’t stand a player who is stupid but gives that appearance of effort.

Did you see how hard Hudson worked that game? Ya and he gave it away 6 times, got 3 dumb penalties and was a minus four.

Yeah, Ryan Lomberg is all churning legs and banging into boards. But also out of position and thowing the puck away a lot of the time.

On a higher skill level, Kadri is always appearing to "effort" but he skates into the opposition, flops a bit and takes bad penalties as well.

Backlund is a way smoother skater (but not slow), positionally sound, knows how to best defend and is being criticized because he plays a smarter game.

[FanIn80]

I feel like this thread has gone off course. It was never about hating Backlund or wanting him gone. It also wasn't about questioning his abilities or trying to compare him to Iggy or even Gio.

The conversation is simply: Is the type of game Backlund plays conducive to being a Captain?

What does Backlund provide on the ice that makes him a Captain? I'm a big believer in advanced stats, but no one's following "39th in HDCA/60" into the fray. No one's suddenly going to jump to their feet, re-energized in the middle of a tough game by "29th for centers in xGA60." No team has ever come out of the dressing room for the 3rd period, down 3-0, saying "woooooo we're gonna win this, boys, just look at the Captain's relative 5v5 corsi for rating!!"

Everyone knows he's not gonna score 30 goals. We know he's not going to fight anyone at center ice. But we also know he's not going to hit anyone, he's not going to get in a goalie's face after the whistle and try to get someone to take a penalty... he's not even going to win an important face off.

To me, faceoffs are the big tell. He's a defensive center. Faceoffs should be one of the things he's good at, but he can't even provide that for us. Like we can't even say "it's late in a one-goal game and we have a huge defensive zone faceoff, but don't worry boys, our Captain's got this..." Instead, we're like... "oh no, why did we ice it? We're not gonna win this faceoff, we better get ready to block some shots!"

[Yeah_Baby]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

I feel like this thread has gone off course. It was never about hating Backlund or wanting him gone. It also wasn't about questioning his abilities or trying to compare him to Iggy or even Gio.

1) Brother, my friend, of course it went off course you mentioned Backland.

2) Chris Clark was an NHL Captain (although he did have that weird 30 goal year with the Caps but still)

[BigThief]

Where are you Chris O'Sullivan

[konradical]

Backlund is the captain because the players, coach and staff deemed him to be the biggest leader on and off the ice for their team. Before we didn't have a captain officially, everyone said Backlund was basically the voice of the team in the locker room. Everyone has huge respect for him in the organization. He has been a solid player for the last 10 years.

Just ebcause he has had a down year, like many other btw, doesnt mean you have to strip him from the duties lmao. He isnt some fringe NHL player that they named captain. He is still a solid 3rd line centre. Yeah he has been struggling lately but we dont know if it is injury, age or something else. We praise this team's locker room having a better culture and being so tight well you have to look at Backlund and the leadership for that.

Like making a mountain out of a mole hill because the guy is in a slump the last 2 months, thats the only reason why it is a discussion. The players and staff love Backlund, and Backlund loves this city. Who else would you want to be the leader.

Sure Weegar or Andersson are good options, but Backlund still is a great leader and he can easily turn it around this year or next. If he cant be an NHLer is when you can start having these discussions

[FBI]

I don't want Andersson to be captain.. Way prefer Weegar

[BigThief]

Originally Posted by konradical

Backlund is the captain because the players, coach and staff deemed him to be the biggest leader on and off the ice for their team. Before we didn't have a captain officially, everyone said Backlund was basically the voice of the team in the locker room. Everyone has huge respect for him in the organization. He has been a solid player for the last 10 years.

Forgot the exact quote but Sutter hinted that if Monahan was healthy he would have named him captain.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

What does Backlund provide on the ice that makes him a Captain?
[/I]

He plays against McDavid, Mackinnon, Matthews, Kucherov, et al night after night, often to a standstill.

[CsInMyBlood]

It's the same tired guys making the same tired arguments why Backlund is no good.

Whats most hilarious to me is now that his age is catching up they totally believe that they're FINALLY right but they're still not.

The OP is the biggest Monahan fanboi and has always felt threatened or something by Backlund for some odd reason.

Embarrassing thread. Mikeal Backlund rules. Carry on old man yelling at clouds.

[Macindoc]

Originally Posted by CsInMyBlood

It's the same tired guys making the same tired arguments why Backlund is no good.

Whats most hilarious to me is now that his age is catching up they totally believe that they're FINALLY right but they're still not.

The OP is the biggest Monahan fanboi and has always felt threatened or something by Backlund for some odd reason.

Embarrassing thread. Mikeal Backlund rules. Carry on old man yelling at clouds.

Right, it's important for us to all remember that it's the Oilers, and not Backlund, who are no good.

[FBI]

Originally Posted by CsInMyBlood

It's the same tired guys making the same tired arguments why Backlund is no good.

Whats most hilarious to me is now that his age is catching up they totally believe that they're FINALLY right but they're still not.

The OP is the biggest Monahan fanboi and has always felt threatened or something by Backlund for some odd reason.

Embarrassing thread. Mikeal Backlund rules. Carry on old man yelling at clouds.

Or some of us have loved Backlund the last bunch of years and are just noticing a drop off and are concerned..

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

The conversation is simply: Is the type of game Backlund plays conducive to being a Captain?

That would be a silly conversation to have. ‘Captain’ is not a description of a style of play. Jim freaking Peplinski was the captain of a Stanley Cup winner, even though he was probably the worst player on the roster to play regularly.

[CsInMyBlood]

Originally Posted by FBI

Or some of us have loved Backlund the last bunch of years and are just noticing a drop off and are concerned..

I shouldn't lump everyone together, I'm sorry for that. I've been here a long time and have had the same arguments with some of the same people about Backlund for years and years. Stats always prove Backlund is more valuable than many give him credit for. Flash points and goals are sexy but shutting down top players from getting those goals and points is his bread and butter. It's just as important to people that understand hockey.

Look I understand he is in the twilight of his career and will move down the depth chart accordingly but to insist he is useless and not worthy of the C that was put on his chest by management, coaches and players on the team is asinine.

He's going through a slump at the moment but it's not for lack of effort or care. The guy bleeds Calgary Flames and deserves more respect than some are giving him.

I'm all for differing opinions but some statements made in this thread are ridiculous.

[FBI]

Originally Posted by CsInMyBlood

I shouldn't lump everyone together, I'm sorry for that. I've been here a long time and have had the same arguments with some of the same people about Backlund for years and years. Stats always prove Backlund is more valuable than many give him credit for. Flash points and goals are sexy but shutting down top players from getting those goals and points is his bread and butter. It's just as important to people that understand hockey.

Look I understand he is in the twilight of his career and will move down the depth chart accordingly but to insist he is useless and not worthy of the C that was put on his chest by management, coaches and players on the team is asinine.

He's going through a slump at the moment but it's not for lack of effort or care. The guy bleeds Calgary Flames and deserves more respect than some are giving him.

I'm all for differing opinions but some statements made in this thread are ridiculous.

Yeah I'm not complaining about the C or anything, I'm just in awe of the drop off.. Like how many plays has he made in the last 14 games.. There was one really good pass I think in one of the last 4 games? One that made me go THERE WE GO, but that was it.. I just don't see any quality whatsoever in the offensive end.. Defensive is good although the faceoffs are not (like somebody else said), it's just getting frustrating. I'm so used to Coleman and Backlund being so reliable and lifting up the 3rd member of that line, and I don't see that happening AT ALL now.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Zadorov, Andersson, Weegar - and almost every other player went out of their way and spoke in the media that Backlund SHOULD be named captain a couple of years ago. It seems completely strange to me that someone outside of the team - Rhett - would now say that it was a bad choice in any way when it appears everyone on the team wanted him to be named the captain.