"He wasn’t anywhere near as good as he had to be for us to win, but he’s a young player. We forget that. This is his first year. I get frustrated with him. I expect more, because I’ve seen him give more."
-Playfair on Backlund, who scored one goal and eight assists in thirteen playoff games.
about 2 years ago
Hayley
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And he didn’t have that all great of a regular season when he was with Abbotsford the first time.
Wheaties and Hitmen.......... The Dub rules over Canada.
Go Heat Go. THE CALDER CUP PLAYOFFS!!! THE FINEST ACTION AROUND.
Oh but he’s young.
Wheaties and Hitmen.......... The Dub rules over Canada.
Go Heat Go. THE CALDER CUP PLAYOFFS!!! THE FINEST ACTION AROUND.
He actually DID have an ok season for his first year.
by Jeremywilhelm on May 12, 2010 6:31 AM PDT up reply actions
This was essentially Backlund’s 20-year-old season and he put up 32 points in 54 games, on a team that scored 210 goals and 568 points in 80 games.
I’m not a prospect expert but I know two things:
1.) Points aren’t the best measure of ability since context of icetime has a huge impact. Plus luck has the final say, and I think someone said earlier in the season that Backlund was finishing at a defenseman-like rate.
2.) Still, historically speaking most NHL impact forwards (i.e. top6F) are either too good for the AHL in their 20-year-old season, or can manage a PPG pace.
Like, say, the un-needed and discarded Dustin Boyd?
In any case, Backlund has some nice things about him but it’s hard to get excited.
Pretty much.
He’s a guy who could probably stand to start out in the minors again next year, but because the team has decided he’s NHL ready, he won’t.
His play fell off in the second round for whatever reason. That’s been the main knock on the kid for a long time: from dominating to absent in the blink of an eye. Apparently it’s the primary reason he wasn’t very popular with his coach in Sweden.
Backlund’s AHL totals, including playoffs, read like this:
67 GP, 16G, 221 SOG, 7.2 SH%
3.3 SOG is a pile for the AHL, and he averaged just over 2 SOG in his NHL audition (while shooting about 2%), so I have a suspicion that he might just have had one of those years in terms of SH%. That noted, and strictly from my observation, he didn’t look like he could bruise a grape with his shot when he was in Calgary, so he could stand some time in the weight room to add a bit of power to his game.
As for where he should play next year, I think your alluded suggestion in your Kotalik piece of using Dawes, Backlund and Kotalik in a soft scoring role is likely the best bet. He’d get cut up playing anything tougher, and presuming that both Stajan and Langkow are in Calgary next fall, he shouldn’t need to do more than that.
by Robert Cleave on May 12, 2010 8:22 AM PDT up reply actions
Yup, the SOG totals are at least encouraging. I believe Boyd was an 18% shooter or something in his first AHL season, so he got the benefit of the bounces.
Backlund’s underlying numbers in the dance were solid, but the sample size is so small and the minutes were so buttery soft, I hesitate to attach any significance to them. It’s certainly better than him getting killed, I guess, which wouldn’t have been out of character for many of the Flames draft picks the last two decades or so.
I would love to see Backlund start next season with the Heat, but as you said, Sutter has already decided that he’s NHL ready, so I doubt that’ll happen.
Matchsticks and Gasoline
Go Hitmen, Heat, and whoever's playing the Canucks
I dont think it is so much that they decided he is NHL ready so he should start, I think it has more to do with the fact that we cant afford to start anyone else.
Judging by the Jimmy P quote, the kid has motivation problems. Lovely. He will fit right in on the big club.
by Domebeers.com on May 12, 2010 10:32 AM PDT up reply actions
Sutter specifically stated that the club thought he was NHL ready this season. In fact, he claimed that was the main reason Dustin Boyd was traded.
by Kent Wilson on May 12, 2010 12:47 PM PDT up reply actions
Well then, one more reason to can the guy.
by Domebeers.com on May 12, 2010 3:25 PM PDT up reply actions
Wasn’t Backlund the bright future…player that will save all…reason that Daz isn’t requesting welfare checks atm?
"Where do you go from here, Dion?" "I go to Toronto."
Spreading that Calgary Flames, Montreal Expos, The U, and Orlando Magic love.
I’m being sarcastic obviously…but I want to point out the hypocrisy and arrogance that permiates from the Flames management these days. A month ago, we have Daz telling us that Backlund is NHL ready in a pitch to justify his depth prospect wise but then a month later you have Daz’ minor league coach (gatekeeper of the prospects) making the statement above. I mean it’s completely amateur night over at the Saddledome: either a) Daz doesn’t have control on the information being disseminated by his staff or b) he is so fucking arrogant that he thinks fans and the media know nothing and that we all somehow forgot the Backlund spin he gave us a month ago.
"Where do you go from here, Dion?" "I go to Toronto."
Spreading that Calgary Flames, Montreal Expos, The U, and Orlando Magic love.
Not Backlund v Boyd
Sutter made the comment about Boyd in response to why he was traded. He said other guys had passed him by. Some of those were guys Daz traded for. Boyd was not going to play ahead of Higgins, Mayers or Kotalik. In fact he will probably never be a centre in the NHL. Backlund is still going to be given the opportunity to be a centre so I don’t think the 2 of them are related at all. Due to all the forwards under contract for next year; Darryl decided that Boyd was not going to be a priority, so might as well get a pick for a guy you weren’t going to qualify anyway.
Backlund was called up – went back down and played the best hockey of the year – then came up again at the end. He disappointed in the playoffs – hence the comments from Jim to light a fire under him so that he does not take his NHL roster spot for granted,
That’s just not sensible. How much would it have taken to qualify Boyd? And injuries happen, surely Sutter knows that you need semi-capable forwards even at the #10-13F so that they can slot in when people get hurt.
Trading Boyd was insensible. His roster spot was given to a rookie who probably hadn’t earned a chance yet. It was totally Boyd v. Backlund and it was completely the wrong choice.
surely Sutter knows that you need semi-capable forwards even at the #10-13F so that they can slot in when people get hurt.
That’s really the core of my objection to the deal. Even you don’t want to regard it as strictly Boyd v. Backlund, Boyd was making 600k, and was unlikely to make much more as an RFA. He was being paid the going rate for a guy in that 10th-14th roster spot. Why piss away cheap help?
by Robert Cleave on May 13, 2010 1:58 PM PDT up reply actions
Particularly cheap help that was 23 years old and a good bet to improve.
I honestly yelled at the radio in my car when that trade was announced. Yelled.
The kicker being that, had Boyd been offer sheetified, he probably would’ve gotten a 3rd rounder as opposed to a 4th.
by SmellOfVictory on May 13, 2010 3:22 PM PDT up reply actions
because he traded for Kotalik
I’m not saying I agree with it, but it is what happened. OnIce he acquired 5 forwards through trade while ditching 2, Boyd became expendable as a 3rd line winger for this year. He thinks ( and probaby correctly) that a similar player can be had on the free agent market in the summer, so why not trade an asset you are not using for a draft pick. You can argue that Backlund took his spot and I say more likely it was Brett Sutter.
Yes RO it wouldn’t cost much to qualify him, but Daryll wasn’t going to. I’m not so sure he will get much better Kent – we will see if his career path is Lundmarkian. He was a good junior who was one of the best forwards on CDN Jr team that was captained by….. wait for it……. Kyle Chipchura !! Junior success does not always translate to the pros.
by PrairieStew on May 13, 2010 11:43 PM PDT up reply actions
I think as much as you could be right insofar as Darryl’s specific line of thinking – we can all agree that the line of thinking was absolute garbage.
All of it really, the not intending to qualify him, the notion that he wasn’t useful, the elevating of Backlund, the retention of services of McGrattan instead, etc., all of it was just a complete mis-step.
This part though:
He thinks ( and probaby correctly) that a similar player can be had on the free agent market in the summer, so why not trade an asset you are not using for a draft pick
I highly doubt it. Players on the UFA market who command the ~$0.65-0.85M price point are generally not that good. Some are capable or more than capable but we can all agree that they are the exception and not the rule.
Dawes
Waiver wire I know but still. With this being the 3rd year with little movement on the cap, my perception is that more teams are closer to the limit. I don’t think there will be much out there for dollars and it will be a depressed ( buyers) market. I think finding an 11 goal scorer at $700 K is do able.
If you think Boyd is worth more than that – power to you. I would rather have him at $700 than Kotalik at $3m for sure, so there is the mistake which we have long lamented. That extra $2.3 to pursue someone like Plekanec.
I don’t evaluate him as “an 11 goal scorer”, that’s highly affected by the amount and type of icetime he gets so it’s not very useful.
I don’t think anyone knows what kind of player Boyd is. He scored in junior and in his year and half in the AHL. I think he has been given occasional top 6 time and hasn’t really seized the opportunity. When playing further down the roster has he really shown enough progress to be given more good ice ? Is he a centre or a winger ? Two years ago I liked him and the potential he was showing. His lack of significant progress leaves me indifferent.
by PrairieStew on May 14, 2010 10:53 AM PDT up reply actions
His lack of significant progress leaves me indifferent.
I just don’t see that he hasn’t progressed. He can clearly play in the NHL, not on the first line against tough opposition (which was an unrealistic expecatation) but he clearly possessed some skills against lower level comp, such as keeping the play alive and winning more than the occasional puck battle.
He hasn’t received any icetime, at all. Which is the problem here. Barely any PP time and only 10 minutes of EV time per game (and that total must’ve been bumped up by his time in NSH), that’s this year. Last season, 2 minutes a night on the PK (prime producing time baby!), 1 minute a night on the PP and less than ten minutes again at EV. He barely got a regular shift.
Now I’m not as militant as most about this, I think Sutter was totally within his right to shuffle him between the bigs and the minors at will, and until Conroy’s contract was up it was unrealistic to slot him at the #3C position, and the #3L/R are occupied.
But, our 09/10 season is now over and Conroy will likely retire. This would have been Boyd’s chance, he knows that. Sutter should have given it to him, given that Boyd’s a pretty good forward for his age and pedigree and most importantly, he’ll come cheeeeap.
one more year?
You are seeing something that the coaches can’t see? I maintain that if he deserved the ice time he would have got it from one of the 2 coaching staffs the last 2 years.
Boyd was drafted in 2004. So I went to the 2003 draft to see if there were guys who had middling careers and maybe broke out in their 24 year old year .
Dan Fristche 46th overall – almost identical career numbers to Boyd, spent this entire (underwhelming) year in Syracuse.
Patrick O’ Sullivan – 54th overall – yikes a nightmare for Edmonton
Maxim Lapierre – 56th – 15 goals a year ago – only 7 this year, making up for it in the playoffs now
David Backes – 62nd – 31 goals last year – his third full year – fell back this year.
Lee Stempniak 148th – drafted as a 20 year old – had his breakout season at 23-24 with 27 goals 52 points. Fell back for 2 years before restarting in Phoenix this spring.
In short – you can hope for a player to show through after a slow first 3 years, but it is not likely to happen.
by PrairieStew on May 14, 2010 12:43 PM PDT up reply actions
You are seeing something that the coaches can’t see?
I guess I see a player that can create scoring opportunities without cheating for them or giving too much back. All in easier minutes of course, though with terrible teammates.
I maintain that if he deserved the ice time he would have got it from one of the 2 coaching staffs the last 2 years.
I don’t know about this, Conroy is a hell of a player. I mean I would be ecstatic if Boyd’s eventual destination in hockey life is as a Conroy type player.
And I don’t think Boyd was better than Conroy at any point in his time here, so there was no way he was getting that #3C icetime.
He got an “opportunity” as the #1LW but that was a farce, Iggy and Jokinen were positively drowning in the tough-minutes role and so there was no quality-of-team-minus-quality-of-opposition bump for Boyd.
Basically:
I agree with you, if a player doesn’t show in his first 3 years then it’s time to cut bait. But, Boyd did some nice things in his (very) limited icetime and he was cheap. And expecting him to force the coaches’ hand regarding the depth chart, that was unrealistic with a terrific Conroy above him.
Of course, there’s no guarantee that he’ll get better. He very well may not. It’s about the quality of the bet – if he does and you sign him for near league minimum you win. And you win big. If he doesn’t you demote him, cut him lose, or at least have a a guy who can score 10 goals from the 3rd and 4th line.
There’s no real way to lose a bet like that.
I’ve said it before, but to me it’s not necessarily about the player in particular (although I did like Boyd). It’s about the decision making in general. This is the same man who, after watching Wayne Primeau struggle do anything from the 4th line, re-signed him to a multi-year, multi-million dollar deal that needed to be expunged pretty much the instant the ink was dry.
face saving maneuver
He resigned Primeau to prove he didn’t get fleeced by Boston for Ference and Kobasew; since Stuart walked. Same deal on acquiring warm bodies for Jokinen, when the best thing to do was to let the contract expire without further encumbrances, New nickname : Ales the Encumbrance.
I’d say the face-saving maneuver applies more to the Stajan signing, but totally agree on the Primeau one. That is a trade that still makes my blood boil to this day.
Matchsticks and Gasoline
Go Hitmen, Heat, and whoever's playing the Canucks
If true, it means Sutter’s ego is steering the ship and not his brains.
I can’t say you’re wrong.
by Kent Wilson on May 14, 2010 10:12 PM PDT up reply actions
Of course his ego is steering. He doesn’t have any brains.
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by Justin Azevedo on May 15, 2010 10:14 AM PDT up reply actions
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