Interesting little column in the Herald recently titled "Swede Temptation". It profiles 19 year-old first rounder Mikael Backlund and suggests he could be fighting for a place on the team this season.
Seems ridiculous on it's face: Calgary already has 15 NHL forwards on the roster, nearly half of which are natural centers (Langkow, Lombardi, Boyd, Primeau, Conroy, Cammalleri). At least 3 of those guys will be slotted into the top 6 come October.
It's hard not to fantasize about the possibilities, however. We've seen some teenagers make the leap in the last few seasons and deliver high value performances for the clubs that took the risk (Kane, Toews, Backstrom, Kopitar and Gagner spring to mind).
Questions:
1.) Is Backlund ready for prime time?
Hard to say. He was considered the 2nd best European skater in his draft year and played against men last season in the Swedish Elite League (although his stats aren't really that impressive). To my eye, Backlund was a stand-out at the World Junior Championships last year against some pretty stiff competition and he's also been getting rave reviews from those attending the prospect camp this July.
2.) Will it ruin his development?
One of the risks of promoting teens right into the big leagues is spoiling them before they're ripe. See: Gilbert Brule. Backlund is Calgary's best offensive prospect by a significant degree, probably the only kid with the pedigree to become a better than average point producer in the NHL. Risking that development may not be worth the potential benefits, since the Flames probably won't be winning anything this year anyways.
On the other hand, elite players tend to make the leap to the NHL sooner rather than later anyways - in fact, the best guys seem to benefit from the increased level of competition. If Backlund were to make the team and keep his head above water, the Flames would pretty much know they have a future top 3 player on their hands. The problem being, of course, it's hard to know if you have a Brule or a Kane until he actually play against the big boys.
3.) Where would he land on the depth chart?
Like Gagner and Kane, Backlund may be skilled enough to contribute in the right circumstances (good linemates, on the PP), but would be a bit of a liability at ES at first. Unfortunately, the Flames top 6 is currently chocked full of those types of guys (Lombo, Bertuzzi, Cammalleri, Boyd?). If Mikael made the team this year, he'd probably have to play with Iginla for it to make any sense at all: otherwise he'd just be another guy getting scored on too much on the 2nd line.
Bertuzzi - Backlund - Iginla
Cammalleri - Langkow - Lombardi?
Ugh. There's way too many centers on this team. Can either of those lines take on tough competition?
The addition of Backlund would probably push the likes of Wayne Primeau off this team. That's good. On the hand, it would mean Lombardi would either have to go back to being a 3rd line center, convert to wing, or get dealt away. That's bad (to varying degrees - although some would argue that Lombardi belongs in the 3rd-line center type of role anyways).
How about this?:
Bert - Back - Iggy
Cammalleri - Langkow - Moss
Bourque - Lombardi - Conroy
Glencross - Primeau - Nystrom
(Roy, Nilson, Prust)
Perosnally...I just dont see it. Backlund making the leap would mean Sutter would have to get rid of yet another player from this already bloated roster (thank god we have Roy and Prust!). Not to mention the ruination risk, the existing glut of centers and the fact the Flames are cap-strapped. Beyond the normal obstacles a teenager trying to make the NHL faces, the Flames organization has stacked numerous other impediments in Backlund's path for the coming season. Keep in mind, at 19, Backlund is unavailable to play in the AHL this year: meaning he has to make the big squad to stick around, otherwise it's back to the SEL for the season. And chances are that's exactly what's going to happen unless he absolutely blows the pants off everyone in training camp.
