The Calgary Flames have signed veteran forward Mikael Backlund to a three-year extension. According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, the new deal comes with a $3.575 million annual cap hit.
A solid two-way center, Backlund is a veteran of 298 NHL games. He posted 27 points in 52 games last season and has 128 points over his career. He was due to become a restricted free agent this offseason.
With the new contract, the Flames bought up two of Backlund’s years of unrestricted free agency. To do it for under $4 million would appear to be a bargain for a player that solidifies the team’s center depth for the next few years.
After such a remarkable season for Calgary last year, keeping some of the team’s contributors to that run can help the team build some momentum. There’s still work to be done, however. Josh Jooris, Drew Shore, Lance Bouma, Micheal Ferland and Paul Byron all are restricted free agents this summer. Additionally, the Flames would like to get a long-term extension done with captain Mark Giordano who heads into the final season of his current contract.
The last two seasons have been Backlund's best in the NHL and even at 26 he still could get better. Though he may not be producing like you’d expect a former first-round to, he appears comfortable in his role as a third-line center who can take on some tough defensive assignments while contributing a bit offensively. Good two-way centers can be hard to find, but the Flames have a pretty solid one in Backlund.
