[Rumour] Dreger: Backlund is available. Garrioch: Shane O'Brien available too

[Vinny01]

Exactly the Flames have stated they are willing to move Backlund but not actively shopping him. They are not going to dump him for the sake of it. Personally I have stated already the Flames are poised to win this trade if they use their cap space as part of the deal.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by kyuss275

I like Backlund but for those that don't want him traded where do you see him playing? Even if they trade Stajan they will more than likely pick up a vet center for next year. Backlund is not going to take Monahan's spot. Calgary likes Colbourne in the 3rd spot. It pretty much leaves Backlund for next year at 4h line center to start with a chance to move up with injuries. That also leaves Knight still down with the heat.

Also for those that say play him on the wing who's spot does he take?

It's also entirely possible that by the season's end Monahan will have learned enough to become the #1 center next year, Stajan will be traded away, Colborne will continue in the #3 slot next season, and Knight will be given 4th line duties to start next season. Unless Colborne's offense continues to improve enough to be the 2nd line center (which is entirely possible) we need a good 2-way center with lots of NHL experience behind Monahan. This is Backlund's future IMO, and, again JMO, he's scuffling offensively for now. I wouldn't be surprised if he still put up 15-20 goals by the end of the year with about the same number of assists for 30-40 points (and BTW Colborne has the same amount of points right now with close to the same ice time).

To me, there is no way this team trades both Stajan AND Backlund unless they are planning to pick up a veteran center through free agency, there just won't be enough NHL experience at the center position for next year. Now, personally I don't see us getting a UFA, but maybe a trade for a young center, but who? Who is available that is a better option than Backlund? If anyone has any real suggestions I'd be interested to see it. The only UFAs I can think of that aren't already too old are Dave Bolland, Paul Stastny, and Mikhail Grabovski. We'd be most likely paying too much for any of those guys.

No, to me we are seeing Backlund turn into a similar player that Stajan is now, and he's 5 years younger and much cheaper. Trade Stajan and keep Backlund. Stick to the rebuild.

Centers to start next year (preference of first player listed in that spot with their age next year):
Monahan (20)
Backlund (25)/Colborne (24)
Colborne (24)/Backlund (25)/Knight (24)
Knight (24)/Colborne (24)

I'm pretty good with that scenario.

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by Cali Flames Fan

Monahan (20)
Backlund (25)/Colborne (24)
Colborne (24)/Backlund (25)/Knight (24)
Knight (24)/Colborne (24)

I'm pretty good with that scenario.

I suppose I am too...

[CaramonLS]

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

This may be seriously off topic / deserve it's own thread. But this Backlund rumour really got me thinking because I just can't understand why:

a) He's had spurts of very good (last year seemed quite effective), and spurts of not-noticeable / bad
b) why is he being used the way he is by Hartley (4th line? #### off). People don't succeed when you don't put them in a position to.
c) Why all of our seemingly encouraging prospects...bust.

And so it has me worried about a guy like Monahan too. Or all of them, really.

Maybe the solution isn't so much about how we can extract as much value from the asset (Backlund) as we can today by trade.

Maybe the solution is to take a very serious hard look at how we develop prospects and why it is not working and has not worked for years.

Otherwise the problem never really gets solved. Backlund, Monahan, Jesus Christ himself. The problem seems systemic within the organization. And no I'm not giving Backlund a free pass... because maybe he really is a bust. But isn't it odd that literally all of our prospects up until this point aren't able to break into the league and make a statement? Monahan... maybe... but I can still see the Flames destroy his career.

How many of you, when you saw this rumour, thought to yourself 'well if he ends up in some place like Detroit, he will ####ing dominate once Babcock gets ahold of him'??

When was the last time a member of the Flames staff was actively sought after by another organization because they were actually doing things right. Playfair might be the only one that I can think of in recent memory across the entire organization. That says something about the lack of quality people we employ.

It runs a lot deeper than the draft.

[codynw]

Originally Posted by CaramonLS

When was the last time a member of the Flames staff was actively sought after by another organization because they were actually doing things right. Playfair might be the only one that I can think of in recent memory across the entire organization. That says something about the lack of quality people we employ.

It runs a lot deeper than the draft.

I'm sure plenty of teams would have liked to add Burke, no?

[ricardodw]

Originally Posted by edslunch

Is Backlund worse than Galiardi or David Jones?

No but he is smaller, weaker and less aggressive.


On the Flames team that comes out of the rebuild there will be guys that are very talented.... Gaudreau, Hudler, Brodie and maybe Baertschi and will be counted on to score and the rest of the team will be big and strong and aggressive and hard to play against.

Where does Backlund fit in? There was a promise that he would be in the talented 2-way group sort of like a Langkow. However when Langkow was 24 years old he put up 50 pts. This was Backlund's year to move up and it doesn't look like he will be able to do it.

[CaramonLS]

Originally Posted by codynw

I'm sure plenty of teams would have liked to add Burke, no?

You seemed to have missed the point of my post. Please reread.

Burke is a step in the right direction IMO, but there certainly wasn't a lot of suitors for him either in the capacity he wanted.

[Itse]

Originally Posted by stemit14

I do think the flames are getting better at developing players but it would be very disappointing if a guy like gaudreau comes up next year and is put on a left wing with McGrattan and told that he has to score with those line mates in order to move to a better line.

To be fair, looking at this season and where Baertchi and Monahan have played, it seems that our team has finally gotten the hint.

Plus Gaudreau is a rather extreme case of top 6 or bust.

[Stay Golden]

If Feaster is indeed shopping SOB and Backlund as a package i would love to see what have been the offers coming back. It would be interesting to learn as a fan we might say noway what a low ball offer or yes i would take that deal.

[AltaGuy]

I really want Backlund to be traded to Detroit. If he fails there, there would be no doubt he would fail everywhere else too. But there is a chance that - imo - he could end up fitting in extremely well and becomes a very effective NHL player there. Their style of play could be what he needs.

I don't really care too much about the return for him: he just doesn't fit the team we are building as well as Knight or Colborne.

[Robo]

I doubt they are making sob and backlund a package that would destroy any worth backlund has

[Stay Golden]

Originally Posted by Robo

I doubt they are making sob and backlund a package that would destroy any worth backlund has

separate or as a package i would be curious as to what offers have been turned down by Feaster.

[saillias]

Remember when Feaster was "shopping" Babchuk and Sarich?

Maybe he should stop acquiring bad bottom pairing defensemen in the first place?

[DOOM]

Originally Posted by saillias

Remember when Feaster was "shopping" Babchuk and Sarich?

Maybe he should stop acquiring bad bottom pairing defensemen in the first place?

Not that it really makes a difference, but he re-signed them, Sutter was the one that acquired them.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by AltaGuy

I don't really care too much about the return for him: he just doesn't fit the team we are building as well as Knight or Colborne.

See I just think that this is ridiculous. He just doesn't fit the team we are building like a guy who's been sporadic at best and a guy we haven't even seen at all at the NHL level yet? How can we even know this?

[saillias]

Originally Posted by DOOM

Not that it really makes a difference, but he re-signed them, Sutter was the one that acquired them.

Yeah my bad on the lazy terminology, I guess my point is that Feaster has put himself in this situation of having an overpaid bottom pairing guy he can't get rid of for the 2nd or 3rd time depending on if you group Sarich and Babchuk together or not.

[stemit14]

I would prefer to keep backlund but if they are going to trade him, I would save him to use as part of a package to get an even better pick and/or prospect when they go to trade cammalleri, stempniak, or stajan.

[FBI]

Just as an aside, after watching a quarter of the season, I think the Avs won the Tanguay trade..

[Poe969]

No, I think Tanguay won the Tanguay trade. He didn't want to be a part of a rebuild so he was traded to a team loaded with tallent. He just wasn't inspired here and he's playing well there.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by FBI

Just as an aside, after watching a quarter of the season, I think the Avs won the Tanguay trade..

Depends on your point of view. If you're solely looking at it from a production standpoint yes, they did.

If you want to look at it a little differently I think the Flames helped themselves out by moving a player that had no interest of playing here without Iginla and company. The return didn't really matter at that point as long as he was gone.

And I'll argue the only real loss in the deal was SOB for Sarich. That's the bad part. The Flames needed Jones' size. He certainly has not been terrible but not playing up to his salary. Small price to pay to remove a player that had zero interest in being in Calgary.