[Rumour] Backlund "badly wants" to be Captain of the Flames

[sureLoss]

per Friedman in the 32 thoughts podcast at the 8 minute mark:
https://www.sportsnet.ca/podcasts/32-thoughts/

also said at the exit meetings the lack of captain was brought up.

There was no player that felt he could be the buffer [between Sutter and the players].

Backlund wants the role.

If the role is offered to him, it factors into his decision to stay.

[Mr.Coffee]

Do you mean "there was no player that felt he could not be the buffer [between Sutter and the players]"?

Otherwise, he was saying he wants to be captain but nobody believed he could do it?

[Reggie Dunlop]

Kapten Flammar

[sureLoss]

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

Do you mean "there was no player that felt he could not be the buffer [between Sutter and the players]"?

Otherwise, he was saying he wants to be captain but nobody believed he could do it?

No Friedman said no player felt that they could be the buffer because a captain wasn't named.

[Paulie Walnuts]

If making him captain leads him to taking a home town discount to stay on a short term deal sure.

3 year extension at 3 million per named captain.

[HighLifeMan]

I don't think it's a viable option anymore. He will be 35 when a new contract kicks in, and I am not sure you want to be appointing a player who is rumored to have requested out in two consecutive summers leading the dressing room.

I think you need to look to a long term leader in Andersson or Weegar.

I also don't really like the angle of "name me captain" or I'll look elsewhere, even though I get it from his perspective.

[devo22]

with Sutter gone, I wouldn't put much stock in the "player x wants out" rumours anymore. Completely new situation.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Conroy discussed the captain situation yesterday, that the players needed someone to talk to the coach but didn’t have it. Instead they all looked at each other in the room and no one talked to Sutter

[_Q_]

Originally Posted by HighLifeMan

I don't think it's a viable option anymore. He will be 35 when a new contract kicks in, and I am not sure you want to be appointing a player who is rumored to have requested out in two consecutive summers leading the dressing room.

I think you need to look to a long term leader in Andersson or Weegar.

I also don't really like the angle of "name me captain" or I'll look elsewhere, even though I get it from his perspective.

I don't think it's that bad honestly.

He acts as captain for a few years, until he retires, then hopefully one of the younger crop steps up afterwards and acts as captain for a long time.

[Toonage]

I mean yeah, so long as he isn't holding his services hostage for the captaincy (ie: if I don't get it I'm gone)

[Erick Estrada]

We heard this stuff with Tkachuk wanting to be captain as well and I kinda find it weird. I always kind of feel captaincy is something that is decided by the locker room and not an individual fancying himself as captain. I don't doubt Backs may be captain material but I don't know how I feel about a player that says if he doesn't get it he may walk.

[FlamesAddiction]

If he is in the plans for the next few years, then I don't see how it could hurt. He seems like captain material.

[HighLifeMan]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

Conroy discussed the captain situation yesterday, that the players needed someone to talk to the coach but didn’t have it. Instead they all looked at each other in the room and no one talked to Sutter

Makes you wonder what the point of having Lewis and Lucic on the team was then. They should have taken that upon themselves with their relationships and history with the coach to bridge that gap for the team. Heck, add Toffoli in there as well.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

We heard this stuff with Tkachuk wanting to be captain as well and I kinda find it weird. I always kind of feel captaincy is something that is decided by the locker room and not an individual fancying himself as captain. I don't doubt Backs may be captain material but I don't know how I feel about a player that says if he doesn't get it he may walk.

Well with Tkachuk, he had a coach that simply refused to name a captain at all

That is highly unusual, and backfired big time

[ForeverFlameFan]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

Conroy discussed the captain situation yesterday, that the players needed someone to talk to the coach but didn’t have it. Instead they all looked at each other in the room and no one talked to Sutter

Backlund did actually. He and Sutter cursed each other out according to Weegar on a podcast.

Backlund bleeds red. Unfortunately, this should’ve happened when Gio was gone. The lack of a captain really hurt this team.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by HighLifeMan

Makes you wonder what the point of having Lewis and Lucic on the team was then. They should have taken that upon themselves with their relationships and history with the coach to bridge that gap for the team. Heck, add Toffoli in there as well.

They were there for key ice time in the last 5 minutes of 1 goal losses!

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

If making him captain leads him to taking a home town discount to stay on a short term deal sure.

3 year extension at 3 million per named captain.

Yup.

He can be the captain...but I would want him to take a discount then too.

Honestly even $3M might be too much at age 35.

[FanIn80]

Yeah I'm not super excited about Backlund being the Captain. He just turned 34, and I'm not a fan of your Captain being outside the top 6 (or top four on D). Just my own personal preference(s).

[Sec214]

Being Captain in a Canadian Market is way different than a US Market.

My vote is Rasmus.

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by Sec214

Being Captain in a Canadian Market is way different than a US Market.

My vote is Rasmus.

Yep, I would also vote for Andersson.