QOTD: Backlund's Comeback

[Bingo]

I see it likely that he has trouble re-finding his game after discovering it in what? late December last year?

Looked great at the Worlds
Went medieval on his summer preparation

But now with three months watching it might be a struggle.

[Matty81]

Heard a lot about his dramatic weight loss... anybody have a link to a pic? How much weight are we talking? Could be tough for him if it's a lot, he got thrown around a lot in his younger days when he was smaller.

[Vedder]

At minimum, he will be able to take some of the load off Monahan and free him up for some softer minutes which should increase his production.

I'm sure his timing will be off initially, but he's consistently been a positive possession guy on some bad Calgary teams, and I don't expect that to change.

[Geeoff]

About 0.4 pts/game is my prediction. Isn't really covered by the available options.

[CsInMyBlood]

Originally Posted by codynw

He looks noticeably skinnier, and he wasn't exactly huge before. I think he's going to struggle for a while, if he doesn't get reinjured.

The good thing is, IIRC, Backlund was the fittest Flame during testing this year.

I'm sure he will be putting the pounds back on quickly.

I got this blurb on my yahoo site today:

Backlund might return as soon as Wednesday's game, but nothing has been determined yet. "If I go out and play one game too early, I don't think it will affect the injury," Backlund said. "If I play Wednesday, and I get sore, or if I play Friday, and I get sore, it's something I have to deal with the rest of the season. We've tried everything now. All the medical things we can do, we've tried it. So it's more if I feel ready playing and I feel good out on the ice."

[Yanda]

I think this whole season could be a wash for him now. Not only that he may not be the same player after this injury. He very well could be the "what if" for flames fans going forward in this decade.

[bob-loblaw]

I think he returns to end of season form from last year but it will take more than two weeks. If we're close to a playoff spot he had better be contributing to the chase. He should be motivated to get a decent contract after missing so much time.

[Where ru Chris O'Sullivan]

He had by my opinion, a decent year last year. But most of his production came after this team was an afterthought in the playoff race and there was no other centres around to push him from his spot.

Now, we are very much in the playoff hunt and he will be displacing others for his ice time. Sam Bennett will also be here full time next year, his clock is ticking.

We'll find out a lot about Mr. Backs in the coming weeks, should be very interesting.

[codynw]

Originally Posted by CsInMyBlood

The good thing is, IIRC, Backlund was the fittest Flame during testing this year.

I'm sure he will be putting the pounds back on quickly.

I probably don't know what I'm talking about, but isn't it usually pretty difficult for players to gain weight during the season?

[transplant99]

The type of injury he sustained is a really difficult one to come back from and get into "game" shape in a short period of time. I suspect he struggles the rest of the year which will truly give Treliving pause for thought on the type of deal he wants to craft.

[PugnaciousIntern]

Originally Posted by Yanda

I think this whole season could be a wash for him now. Not only that he may not be the same player after this injury. He very well could be the "what if" for flames fans going forward in this decade.

I'm sorry, but I completely disagree. He missed 3 months of playing hockey. That's it. This season could very well end up pretty crappy, and he might become that "what if" in the next decade, but this will NOT be because of a simple sports hernia repair!

Look at the league, and all the guys missing time for injuries. Sure, Backlund's missed plenty more than most, but we knew that well before this current issue. Knowing that, a 3 month rehab won't make or break this guy's career. A knee injury is terrible to come back from, not just because of the pain and atrophy, but because it blocks your ability to do cardio. Fortunately, cardio while rehabbing a sports hernia is pretty simple, and is likely a large contributor is why he lost so much weight - not just avoiding heavy lifting for 6 weeks, but the intense cardio to stay in shape however he can.

What's more, I can almost guarantee that he struggled with this hernia last year, as the threshold for operating on an athletic hernia is pretty high. I'd bet money that this guy played through pain last year, and we all thought that was a great season.

Regardless of what you think about him as a player, this little bump in the road should not have that large of an impact.

[Gaskal]

I expect it will take a handful of games, but he should discover his top form again shortly.

[Lil Pedro]

Predicted him to get injured, which has been the case the majority of his professional career with us. Hope I am wrong though!

[Heavy Jack]

Originally Posted by Where ru Chris O'Sullivan

He had by my opinion, a decent year last year. But most of his production came after this team was an afterthought in the playoff race and there was no other centres around to push him from his spot.

Now, we are very much in the playoff hunt and he will be displacing others for his ice time. Sam Bennett will also be here full time next year, his clock is ticking.

We'll find out a lot about Mr. Backs in the coming weeks, should be very interesting.

That's the closest you have ever come to being the furthest away from 'Backs to the KHL' way of thinking WRCOS.

Here's to hoping he turns into a legit 3rd line center that contributes in more ways than just offense!

[saillias]

Originally Posted by codynw

I probably don't know what I'm talking about, but isn't it usually pretty difficult for players to gain weight during the season?

No you're absolutely right. Bulking is done in the summer. During the regular season no one is putting on muscle mass. Maybe a guy like Grats can who has several months in a row of no play. Or maybe players with certain injuries who can't skate or play but can still train.

On the bright side there isn't any concrete evidence saying Backlund actually lost a lot of weight, just a tweet from a reporter a few weeks ago saying he looked skinny.

[RoughRiderRowdy]

Alot of pom pom waving