I Like Mikael Backlund - Page 2 - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Jiri Hrdina · 02-12-2021, 04:06 PM

Those close to the team will also tell you he is one of the highest quality people to ever wear the jersey, and loves being a Flame and loves this city.

Scroopy Noopers · 02-12-2021, 04:10 PM

Easily one of my all time favourite Flames.

AC · 02-12-2021, 04:44 PM

I love when Backlund pulls this move off too:

TheSquatch · 02-12-2021, 05:14 PM

After being talked up as a Swedish phenom that even Darryl Sutter couldn't ignore, I was sure expecting some Sedin type magic from him, and that never did materialize. So I didn't appreciate him for a long time. But the last X number of years, I don't know just when, I think he embraced a different role and excelled at it. That role is the reason he doesn't play with elite scoring wingers - he's not an elite scoring center. He's a hell of a hard worker, a bit of a badass, and a really smart player. He controls play, but not by being so tricky and dangerous. He controls it by being impossible to play against.

What I appreciate about Backlund is that in the middle of a game, you'll see him battling like hell on the boards, holding a puck still while his team-mates get a line change in, that kind of thing. Just extra effort in smart little areas.

That's why it was so weird to watch him play just totally awful in the first few games this year, it just seemed like he was not tuned in at all. Thankfully it looks fixed and he looks not just competent but actually a little dangerous.

djsFlames · 02-12-2021, 05:23 PM

The thing about Backlund i loved was that he pumped the "pure skill" players tires like Gaudreau and Hudler when he was here. At one point he outright said that he can't do the things those guys do and painted them as being in a different class. As modest and humble as you can get.

But then every year down the stretch he goes into beast mode and outshines those guys and does things that I don't even think they can do when he outmuscles guys and dangles to the net by way of sheer willpower.

The way he relishes beating the Oilers and Canucks is just the icing on the cake.

Just a special and unique player that flies under the radar annually.

Sutter's best ever move.

Beatle17 · 02-12-2021, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 868904

That is pretty crazy. Who was better in their prime, Conroy or Backlund?

Does Backlund put up 80 points centring a prime Iggy?

Where did Conroy do this? Their scoring average per year is pretty close.

GioforPM · 02-12-2021, 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beatle17

Where did Conroy do this? Their scoring average per year is pretty close.

I think the notion is that Backs has more offence in him than Conroy.

tvp2003 · 02-12-2021, 06:47 PM

The bad ass from Vasteras

timbit · 02-12-2021, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by djsFlames

The thing about Backlund i loved was that he pumped the "pure skill" players tires like Gaudreau and Hudler when he was here. At one point he outright said that he can't do the things those guys do and painted them as being in a different class. As modest and humble as you can get.

But then every year down the stretch he goes into beast mode and outshines those guys and does things that I don't even think they can do when he outmuscles guys and dangles to the net by way of sheer willpower.

The way he relishes beating the Oilers and Canucks is just the icing on the cake.

Just a special and unique player that flies under the radar annually.

Sutter's best ever move.

Not picking on you but the trade for Kipper has to be his best move...no?

...and I love Backlund!

tkflames · 02-12-2021, 07:41 PM

My favourite Backlund clip is still the one where he is hiding his face trying not to laugh when playfair rips off his coat and goes berserk on the bench. If anyone has that clip it would make my week!!

djsFlames · 02-12-2021, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by timbit

Not picking on you but the trade for Kipper has to be his best move...no?

...and I love Backlund!

Yes, correction:

Sutter's best pick.

CSharp · 02-13-2021, 01:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ForeverFlameFan

I’ve been told he’s a 5.35m cap dump and not even worth protecting

i've also been told he's getting to old for this team

RT14 · 02-13-2021, 01:48 AM

As much as I think it was a great pick by Darryl Sutter, I also think Sutter’s comments and hype of Backlund as the future Center we had long desired has a lot to do with the majority of fans taking so long to appreciate Backlund. If I’m not mistaken, I remember Sutter saying he wouldn’t rush Backlund into the NHL until he was ready for a top six roll because he didn’t want him wasting away as a 3rd or 4th liner with minimum minutes, so naturally fans expected him to be a future top line Center for Iggy.

Even though he isn’t a first line center, he’s almost as valuable to this team as one would be. I’m so glad he’s a Flame.

1qqaaz · 02-13-2021, 02:25 AM

Backlund was the only promising prospect/young player for quite a while (Brodie was a good prospect as well, Ferland and Reinhart later on). To this day, Backlund has more points than all the other Flame first, second and third round picks from 2005 to 2011 combined (that's 17 players).

There was always quite a bit of pressure on him. But he just kept at it and continued to improve. It's a good thing he was always sound defensively, because that allowed him to get a chance in the NHL during a time where other Flames prospects were failing to develop.

He also overcame occasional injury problems earlier on his career. I remember at one point, Boomer thought Backlund would permanently go to Europe within a year.
He really started to excel during the lockout shortened season.

But he has always been great with the community and has exuded class throughout. He has helped many of the forwards develop into consistent NHL players.
His lines have been more effective than the OMG line ever was.

Really, there should probably be more Backlund jerseys in the Saddledome crows.

Ragnar · 02-13-2021, 03:23 AM

Backlund should go down in Flames lore a bigger name than Otto, Conroy, Langkow etc. A great player who will never be truly appreciated for the work he's done for this franchise. I've been guilty on ragging on this fella, as have many here, but what a player he has turned out to be!

Itse · 02-13-2021, 05:49 AM

Backlund is on track to pass Joel Otto and Jim Peplinski in games played for the Flames this season, making him 6th all time. If he plays another full season here, he'll be 4th all time after Iggy, Gio and Regehr.

That's a lot of games and a long time, especially for someone who's been in the talks as trade bait for almost his whole career here :P

Textcritic · 02-13-2021, 08:59 AM

Backlund ranks #13 in production in his draft class. That's not bad for a #24 pick.

Oh, and he ranks ahead of two Oilers picks that were selected ahead of him: Riley Nash and Alex Plante, and while he is still behind Sam Gagner, Backlund ended the season last year with better scoring totals than Gagner produced in his last four seasons combined.

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TheChief · 02-13-2021, 09:27 AM

When hes on, he is absolutely our best player hands down by quite a margin.

He is the ONLY flames player who elevates his Linemates consistently all the while being constantly given the assignment against the best players in the league on a night in and night out basis.

He should really have had a C by now on his jersey. I'm thinking he doesn't want that pressure or else it would have been done. (hence he shares the A with saint Matthew).

Itse · 02-13-2021, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheChief

When hes on, he is absolutely our best player hands down by quite a margin.

He is the ONLY flames player who elevates his Linemates consistently all the while being constantly given the assignment against the best players in the league on a night in and night out basis.

He should really have had a C by now on his jersey. I'm thinking he doesn't want that pressure or else it would have been done. (hence he shares the A with saint Matthew).

Only one C at a time, and Gio was the clear choice at the time, and still is.

Wouldn't surprise me if he gets the C after Gio.

Textcritic · 02-13-2021, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Itse

Only one C at a time, and Gio was the clear choice at the time, and still is.

Wouldn't surprise me if he gets the C after Gio.

I actually thought at the time that the choice between Backlund and Giordano was not an obvious one. I think it honest could have gone Backlund's way.

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