At this point, it’s almost a cliche to say that Mikael Backlund’s been a life preserver for the Calgary Flames. For the better part of the past decade, Backlund’s line has been relied upon to give the club quality minutes.
The Calgary Flames had a weird season in 2023-24, and there’s no better illustration of that weirdness than their special teams play. The club swapped
Mikael Backlund just finished his 16th season with the Calgary Flames, and his first as the captain of the team. It was another strong campaign from Backlund who once again was a defensive force, shutting down opponents top lines and also helped with a little bit of offence as well.
When Craig Conroy was announced as general manager in May 2023, he pledged to give young players a chance to play for the Calgary Flames. He and head coach Ryan Huska followed through on that pledge, with 11 different rookies playing games for the club in 2023-24 – a big increase from the six that made appearances in the prior season.
Saturday night was the Calgary Flames’ final Hockey Night in Canada appearance of the 2023-24 season. To commemorate the season winding down, Scott Oake and Ryan Leslie had Craig Conroy as their guest on After Hours.
On Thursday night, for the first time in his National Hockey League career, Connor Zary was a spectator when the Flames played the Winnipeg Jets. On Saturday night, also for the first time in his NHL career, Zary was a centre when the Flames played the Edmonton Oilers.
On Tuesday night, the Calgary Flames were not very good against the Anaheim Ducks. MacKenzie Weegar and Mikael Backlund both declared the effort not good enough in their post-game chats with the media.
I understand you can’t win them all, but the Calgary Flames just handed the Anaheim Ducks just their second win in their last 14 games. The Flames most offensive players disguised how horrendous they were defensively by being opportunistic.
The time of year when playoff teams and seeding begin to become clearer is always interesting. Sure, NHL fans have the chance to read about all sorts of different successful teams, but the way players on non-playoff teams operate on a day-to-day basis has always captured my attention more.
At the 2018 NHL Draft, the Calgary Flames acquired Elias Lindholm from the Carolina Hurricanes in a five-player deal that also saw Noah Hanifin arrive in Calgary.
On Saturday night, the Calgary Flames hosted their old rivals, the Montreal Canadiens, as the Saddledome hosted ’80s night. On a night where they were out-shot by the opposition, the Flames got strong goaltending and timely goals, ultimately beating the Habs by a 5-2 score.
Mikael Backlund scored twice in a three-point outing and MacKenzie Weegar collected three assists as the host Calgary Flames claimed a 5-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night.
There has been a lot of ups and downs over the last couple seasons for the Calgary Flames. A divide between the roster and head coach. A general manager leaving behind a mess.
If you’re a new reader – and if so, welcome! – you might have noticed two things about the Calgary Flames over the course of the 2023-24 so far. First, they sure have moved a lot of good roster players for futures.
The Calgary Flames began their stretch drive on Saturday afternoon when they visited the powerhouse Florida Panthers. The Flames were far from their best, unfortunately, with a tendency for ill-timed turnovers at key moments in this game that led to goals against.
We're focused on the straights market tonight on the ice, with four NHL games to start our week. There's value here on just backing one player to get involved.
He will likely be named the 20th captain in Flames history, according to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff.
Backlund, 34, has been one of the Flames’ most consistent talents of the past decade and is coming off one of the best seasons of his career.
He is entering the final season of a six-year, $32.1M extension signed in 2018, by far the richest deal of his career.
These discussions took place before Colorado eventually filled their center vacancies by acquiring Ryan Johansen and the rights to Ross Colton in trades with the Predators and Lightning, respectively.
As the Calgary Flames gear up for the upcoming NHL season, one prominent name that has been surrounded by uncertainty is that of Mikael Backlund. The center, who has been a key player for the Flames, is entering the final year of his contract, and his future with the team remains undecided.
Mikael Backlund hasn’t closed the door on re-signing with the Calgary Flames, but he has now verbally shared that it’s not a decision that will be made during this season.
The King Clancy Memorial Trophy is given annually to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and who has made a significant humanitarian contribution in his community.
Mikael Backlund has been a fixture in Calgary’s lineup for well over a decade as the center has suited up in over 900 games for them over parts of 15 seasons.
That is the maximum allowable financial punishment under the collective bargaining agreement.
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!