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Mikael Backlund

Minor Transactions: 04/01/19

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Welcome to April and the end of the NHL regular season. There are just a handful of games remaining before the 2018-19 playoffs begin and teams have started locking up their first round opponents. Still, for teams battling on the edge of postseason contention the next week may be just as important as any other. Today eyes will be drawn to the Colorado Avalanche and St. Louis Blues’ game, which very well could decide the final wild card spot in the Western Conference. The Avalanche currently hold the spot with a one-point lead over Arizona, but have this game in hand on them. As teams prepare for action, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves.

  • The Carolina Hurricanes are just one point ahead of the Montreal Canadiens in the East and have recalled Haydn Fleury under emergency conditions to help them stay there. The team was defeated last night and need to get back on track tomorrow night when they travel to Toronto, but will be without Calvin de Haan who is heading back to Carolina after suffering an upper-body injury.
  • With Louis Domingue banged up the Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled Eddie Pasquale from the minor leagues. The team obviously wants their backup goaltender healthy, but all eyes are on Victor Hedman as he deals with an upper-body injury. Pasquale has played in one game for the Lightning this year but has a solid .916 save percentage through 43 appearances for the Syracuse Crunch.
  • The Calgary Flames are set to rest several regulars after clinching a playoff spot, and Juuso Valimaki has been recalled to take their place. Mikael Backlund, Matthew Tkachuk, Mark Giordano, T.J. Brodie, Travis Hamonic and Noah Hanifin will all be out of the lineup.
  • The Detroit Red Wings have recalled Joe Hicketts from the minor league under emergency conditions, and CapFriendly believes they have moved Mike Green to long-term injured reserve in order to fit him in. Hicketts’ recall follows an injury to Danny DeKeyser, who looks like he may miss the last few games of the season.
  • The Nashville Predators have recalled forward Miikka Salomaki from the minor leagues, bringing him back from a conditioning stint. Salomaki hasn’t played an NHL game since early January but could be an option for the team down the stretch and into the playoffs.
  • With Nico Sturm set to join the Minnesota Wild immediately, Matt Read has been sent back down to the AHL. The team is expected to put Sturm into the lineup as soon as possible, though since he hasn’t yet practiced with the team it is not clear when exactly that will be. Read meanwhile will be on call for the next opportunity as he has been all season.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have returned Sam Carrick back to San Diego of the AHL.  He had been recalled on Saturday and suited up that night, logging just over 12 minutes against Edmonton while picking up an assist.

Calgary Flames Activate Mikael Backlund, Recall Kerby Rychel

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Despite having won seven of their last eight games, the red hot Calgary Flames continue to improve their lineup as the team announced it has taken center Mikael Backlund off injured reserve, while recalling Kerby Rychel, the leading scorer on the Stockton Heat. The team also sent Andrew Mangiapane and goaltender Jon Gillies back to the AHL.

Backlund has been on IR since Dec. 8 and has missed four games. The 29-year-old has five goals and 17 points in 29 games this season, but is a key figure centering the team’s second line. Veteran Derek Ryan has been filling in for him, but the infusion of Backlund should invigorate a tired team who is playing the second game of a back-to-back set. The team also brought in Rychel, who has been extremely effective in Stockton where he has already tallied 13 goals and 21 points in 25 games this season. He was acquired in an offseason trade with Montreal for Hunter Shinkaruk. Rychel made four appearances with the Canadiens last season scoring one goal and an assist.

With the healthy return of Mike Smith in goal who is expected to serve as a backup Sunday, the team had no use for Gillies, who just served as a backup Saturday. Gillies hasn’t made an appearance for Calgary this year. Mangiapane was recalled on Nov. 30 and has appeared in seven games since then, but hasn’t gotten on the scoreboard. The 22-year-old had seven goals and seven assists in Stockton.

 

 

Vancouver Canucks Place Anders Nilsson On Injured Reserve

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The Vancouver Canucks may have themselves a goaltending issue after the team placed goaltender Anders Nilsson on injured reserve Sunday,  according to Rick Dhaliwal of Sportsnet. While there was no apparent injury during a game, Dhaliwal reports that Nilsson is dealing with a hand injury and had no idea how long he will be out.

It’s a big blow to a young team that has been playing beyond expectations this season as they hold a 6-6-0 record so far this year. Nilsson has been the standout goaltender in net as he has fared better than Jacob Markstrom as the 28-year-old seems to be bouncing back from a rough first year in Vancouver after signing a two-year deal during the summer of 2017. Nilsson has a 2.67 GAA and a .912 save percentage in six games this year, solid numbers for a team that many had picked to be among the bottom teams in the league this year.

While Vancouver has a top-flight prospect goaltender in Thatcher Demko sitting in Utica of the AHL, Demko has been doing just that as he has yet to make his debut this season as he is still suffering from concussion symptoms that he suffered in a Sept. 22 preseason game when he collided with Calgary’s Mikael Backlund. Dhaliwal reported Thursday that Demko has seen a specialist and is doing better, but remains at least a week away before taking the next step in his recovery.

Instead the team recalled Richard Bachman from Utica, who will serve as backup. Unfortunately, the 31-year-old veteran has struggled in Utica so far this year. In five games, he’s posted a 4.23 GAA and a .865 save percentage, suggesting the team may be in trouble if Nilsson is out for any extended time.

 

Snapshots: Canucks, Watson, Olson

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The Vancouver Canucks will not have free agent addition Antoine Roussel in the lineup when the regular season begins. Roussel has been sidelined since the start of training camp due to a concussion, but the hope was that without preseason action, he would have the time and rest to be ready for the real thing. However, in speaking to head coach Travis Green, Ben Kuzma of the Province has confirmed that Roussel will not be ready for the start of the season. Green gave no timeline for his return, only stating that a comeback in time for opening night had been ruled out. Green did add that young goaltender Thatcher Demko has also been dealing with concussion symptoms. He has entered the league’s concussion protocol and there is no word on when he will be ready to play or whether he will begin the season on the injured reserve or in the AHL. Kuzma writes that Demko collided with the Calgary Flames’ Mikael Backlund during last Saturday’s preseason match, but his condition deteriorated to the point of being diagnosed ahead of the Canucks’ next game on Monday night. Considering bottom-six forward Roussel and current third-string goalie Demko have been the only training camp casualties in Vancouver, the team has had relatively good luck. They hope it stays that was as the team needs a healthy and positive start to the season given their struggles over the past few years.

  • Another player missing to star the 2018-19 season in Nashville Predators forward Austin Watson. Watson was suspended for the first 27 games of the campaign for his role in a domestic abuse incident this off-season. Watson pled no contest to the assault charges an the NHL felt that a third of the season was fitting supplemental punishment. However, Watson did appeal his suspension and that hearing with a neutral arbitrator took place yesterday, according to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun.  LeBrun suggests that, unlike in salary arbitration, this decision could take up to a couple weeks. If Watson is successful in his appeal, an unlikely outcome, the arbitrator will choose a new, shortened length that he sees fit. If not, Watson will be eligible to return to the Predators on December 3rd.
  • Quinn Olson, the younger brother of Anaheim Ducks prospect Kyle Olson, has made a decision on where he wants to start his next season. The younger Olson will pass up the major junior route that his brother, a forward for the WHL’s Tri-City Americans, took and will instead opt to go the college route. Olson has committed to the University of Minnesota-Duluth, the NCAA’s reigning champion, reports College Hockey Inc. The undersized but effective 17-year-old forward is playing this season for the Okotoks Oilers of the junior-A Alberta Junior Hockey League and could possibly play one more season with the team, but if he continues to score at a point-per-game pace, as he has for much of the last season plus, the Bulldogs will probably try to bring him in next year instead. Olson is a draft-eligible prospect for the upcoming 2019 NHL Draft and is likely to join his brother in an NHL pipeline shortly.

Pacific Notes: Flames Forwards, Haula, Horvat

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The Calgary Flames have made quite a few moves this offseason in hopes of reshaping their roster after a dismal second half that saw them out of the playoffs. However, the Flames new signings may have caused other issues that the team will have to deal with in a few years — namely the expansion draft.

The Athletic’s Kent Wilson (subscription required) writes that the team might be in trouble if/when the unnamed Seattle franchise has its expansion draft in 2020. Assuming all the rules are the same as they were for Vegas, Calgary will have a logjam of players at the forward position and won’t have enough spaces to protect some quality players.

Assuming there are no changes among forwards over the next two seasons, the team would likely protect or have to protect Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan, Elias Lindholm, Mikael Backlund, Matthew Tkachuk, James Neal as six forwards they would likely protect. That would leave one spot open for players like Derek Ryan, Mark Jankowski, Sam Bennett, Andrew Mangiapane and Spencer Foo, which could leave several high quality players exposed to Seattle. Unless the team addresses these issues, the team may be giving Seattle a solid player.

  • Adam Hill of the Las Vegas Review-Journal writes that the Vegas Golden Knights still haven’t decided on a plan for what they intend to do with second-line center Erik Haula after they signed Paul Stastny away from the Winnipeg Jets this offseason. Haula had a great offensive season, centering the second line with 29 goals and 55 points, but the line (along with the departed Neal and David Perron) struggled defensively. In fact, Vegas’ second line was one of the worst defensive lines in the league. “It produced, but the goals against per 60 minutes was not good enough,” said Vegas general manager George McPhee. “We were actually dead last among second lines in the league. You can just sort of look the other way on that or you can address it. We’re trying to address it.”
  • J.D. Burke of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that he believes that Vancouver Canucks center Bo Horvat should continue to take his game to a new level as he has every year. However, if there is one area of Horvat’s game that could use some upgrading it would be his defensive game as that’s the weakest part of his game. The 23-year-old took his scoring game up a notch last year when he potted 22 goals, an improvement on his previous career-high of 20 goals, but Horvat missed 15 games last year, so to put up a career-high in goals is key. However, with the additions of players like Jay Beagle, Antoine Roussel and Tim Schaller, maybe defense won’t be that imperative.

Snapshots: Sweden, Voynov, Yawney

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Sweden released their preliminary roster for the upcoming World Championships, and it is loaded with NHL talent. John Klingberg, Adam Larsson, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Erik Gustafsson, Adrian Kempe, Mikael Backlund, Johan Larsson, Mattias Janmark, Lias Andersson, Jacob de La Rose, Magnus Paajarvi and Mika Zibanejad will all be heading to the tournament for the Swedes.

Though obviously this group is missing some of their top options like Erik Karlsson and Henrik Zetterberg, it will also have some very interesting young players filling the gaps. Vegas Golden Knights draft pick Erik Brannstrom will be among the defense corps, and Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130 in Vancouver expects Elias Pettersson will be added soon.

  • There have been some conflicting reports on Slava Voynov’s potential return to the NHL, but Arthur Staple of The Athletic can make one thing very clear. The New York Islanders have not reached out to anyone connected to the former NHL player, and have “zero interest” in bringing him aboard. Whether or not any team will actually sign the 28-year old defenseman is still unclear.
  • The Anaheim Ducks will not bring back assistant coach Trent Yawney next season, choosing not to renew his contract. Yawney has been with the Ducks organization for seven seasons, first as head coach of their AHL affiliate (Syracuse, then Norfolk) and the last four seasons as an assistant to Bruce Boudreau and Randy Carlyle in the NHL.

Ten NHL Players Announced For Swedish World Championship Roster

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After Canada announced their first 18 players yesterday, Sweden has now given us 10 NHL names that will suit up for them at the upcoming World Championships in Denmark. Like usual, their group will include several professional players from the SHL—though top prospect Rasmus Dahlin has already said he won’t be attending.

The confirmed NHL players are below:

Goaltenders:

Anders Nilsson, Vancouver Canucks

Defensemen:

Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Arizona Coyotes
John Klingberg, Dallas Stars
Erik Gustafsson, Chicago Blackhawks
Adam Larsson, Edmonton Oilers

Forwards:

Mika Zibanejad, New York Rangers
Mikael Backlund, Calgary Flames
Jacob de La Rose, Montreal Canadiens
Johan Larsson, Buffalo Sabres
Magnus Paajarvi, Ottawa Senators

Flames Re-Sign Mikael Backlund To Six-Year Extension

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One of the biggest names expected to be on the 2018 free agent market has instead decided to stay put. The Calgary Flames announced this evening that they have re-signed center Mikael Backlund to a six-year, $32.1MM extension. The deal carries a $5.35MM cap hit, while TSN’s Darren Dreger adds that the first two years of the extension carry a $2MM signing bonus, while the final four are purely salary and the deal contains a No-Movement Clause in the first three years and a Modified No-Trade Clause for the last three years.

This appears to be a very favorable deal for the Flames. Backlund, 28, has spent his entire career in Calgary after being drafted out of Sweden in the first round of the 2007 NHL Draft. Backlund has since flown under the radar, quietly becoming one of the top two-way forwards in the NHL through his 519 games for the Flames. He is also capable on offense, with 104 goals and 158 assists for 262 career points thus far, including a career-high 53 last season. He has kept up his high-level play at both ends of the ice in 2017-18, on pace for 48 points and considered a candidate for the Selke Trophy with some truly impressive possession metrics.

Backlund has proven himself to be a perfect fit as a middle-six center for the Flames and will now hold down that role into the foreseeable future. While Brian Burke, Brad Treliving, and company are surely excited about the extension, the news will leave many other teams discouraged. Backlund was ranked seventh in PHR’s Midseason Free Agent Power Rankings – and had the potential to move up – while ranking second behind only John Tavares among centers. With Tavares also expected more likely to resign than go elsewhere, teams with needs down the middle could soon see their top two targets off the board. Backlund was also set to cash in on his prime position in free agency this summer, so his reasonable extension is even further proof that he was happy to stay in Calgary long-term.

Extension Talks Pick Up Between Flames And Mikael Backlund

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The Flames and representatives for pending unrestricted free agent center Mikael Backlund have picked up talks regarding a contract extension recently, reports Postmedia’s Eric Francis.  However, Backlund himself isn’t overly thrilled that negotiations are occurring midseason:

“It’s not what I wanted, but it is what it is.  I wish I didn’t have to deal with it during the season, but it’s part of business and we’re professionals and have to deal with it. Both sides want the best, so we’ll see what happens.”

Oct 21, 2017; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Calgary Flames center Mikael Backlund (11) controls the puck against the Minnesota Wild during the third period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Minnesota Wild won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY SportsThe 28-year-old is certainly helping his case for a big contract whether it’s with the Flames or elsewhere for next season.  He’s on pace for a second straight 50-point campaign while he’s averaging a career-best 19:15 per night, second among all Calgary forwards.  Included in that is 2:25 per night shorthanded which is more than any other Flames attacker.  As a result, he will be coveted not only for his offensive abilities but also for his defensive acumen.

Francis reports that Backlund is seeking a deal between $5MM and $6MM per year on a five or six-year contract, money that would come close to the pact that Kyle Turris signed upon being traded to Nashville (six years, $36MM).  That would also represent a considerable raise on the $3.575MM he’s earning this season.  It’s reasonable to expect that he’ll have no trouble garnering a contract in that range if he is unsigned come July based on precedents around the league.

Meanwhile, GM Brad Treliving declined to comment on the status of discussions or the asking price, instead simply stating that their goal is to re-sign Backlund.  He would be wise to get a deal done before July as if he hits the open market, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the price go even higher with demand expected to greatly outweigh supply for centers in free agency.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2018 Midseason UFA Power Rankings: 1-10

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With the halfway point of the season now behind us and the trade deadline fast approaching, it’s time to take a preliminary look at the UFA Class of 2018.  Here is the first half of our top-20 rankings, based on votes from writers Gavin Lee, Brian La Rose, Nate Brown, Zach Leach and Holger Stolzenberg. We ran numbers 11-20 yesterday, and will release an honorable mention group tomorrow.

1. John Tavares, C, New York Islanders — There was never any doubt that Tavares would hold the top spot on this list, and he was ranked #1 on all five ballots. The superstar Islanders center will only be 27 on July 1st, and could challenge Connor McDavid for the largest cap hit in the league if a bidding war starts over his services. Even with all of his career success, Tavares may have not experienced a season quite like this one, as he is currently tied for second in league scoring with 54 points in 46 games. There is very little negative that can be said about him, and teams could legitimately change their franchise direction by landing the biggest fish on the market.

2. John Carlson, D, Washington Capitals — Though it’s a steep drop off after Tavares, Carlson is an elite free agent in his own right. It’s rare that a defender of his caliber hits the open market, and the fact that he only just turned 28 makes him a target for 31 teams in the NHL. Logging more than 26 minutes a night this season on a depleted Washington blueline, Carlson trails only John Klingberg in terms of scoring from defensemen with 35 points through 45 games. Though it’ll be a tough case to make at the end of the season, Carlson should get some Norris consideration and could land a huge long-term contract.

3. Evander Kane, F, Buffalo Sabres — Everyone’s favorite trade rumor is headed to free agency after the season, as the Sabres haven’t even approached him to discuss an extension. Unless he’s so enamored with his next team and signs a contract right away, he should be able to pick a landing spot from a dozen or more suitors in the offseason. How many years teams will offer him has been disputed at times, but at just 26 he’s one of the youngest free agents to hit the market and should provide several years of prime performance.

4. James van Riemsdyk, F, Toronto Maple Leafs — van Riemsdyk doesn’t carry the puck a ton, and doesn’t often score from far out, but might be the most dangerous scorer in the league within five feet of the net. He’s well on his way to another 30 goal season this year, even while playing the fewest average minutes since he was 21. Expected to ask for something around $36MM over six years, there will be no shortage of teams looking to add him to their powerplay.

5. James Neal, F, Vegas Golden Knights — Before this season, free agency or even the expansion draft, we looked at Neal’s incomparable consistency and how he was headed for a big contract on the open market. He’s never recorded fewer than 21 goals in a season, and already has 18 this year. Obviously a huge part of what the Vegas Golden Knights have done to start their franchise history, they’ll try to retain him on a reasonable deal. If they can’t, he might just end up scoring 20 for his fifth organization in 2018-19.

6. Josh Bailey, F, New York Islanders — It’s not just Tavares that the Islanders have to worry about leaving this summer, but Bailey (and de Haan below) too. He and Anders Lee have formed the perfect wing pair for Tavares this season, and Bailey is going to blow his career-high in points—set only last season—out of the water just at the right time. He’s 28, has 50 points in 42 games and is a lethal powerplay setup man. Who doesn’t want to add that on the open market?

7. Mikael Backlund, C, Calgary Flames — Maybe underrated because of his personality and lack of flash on the ice, Backlund is nevertheless one of the most valuable assets available this summer. Soon to be 29, he’s coming off back-to-back 20-goal seasons and is a legitimate long-term center option. Centers with 50-point upside and responsible defensive ability don’t hit the market that often, and Backlund should be able to cash in because of it.

8. Paul Stastny, C, St. Louis Blues — Speaking of centers, Stastny is in good position to cash in on one last multi-year contract. The 32-year old is still logging big minutes for the St. Louis Blues, and though he may not be the 70-point man of his youth is still an effective weapon at both ends of the rink. A decline is coming, but with 33 points through 47 games this season including 20 even-strength assists, he will still be able to command an audience on the first day of free agency.

9. Calvin de Haan, D, New York Islanders — That’s right, the third Islanders player in the top 10 is de Haan, who has steadily developed into an excellent all-around defenseman. While he doesn’t have the offensive upside of Carlson, his youth—he’ll turn 27 in May—and ability to plug into a top-4 will still have teams knocking down his door. Our writers had him placed everywhere from #7 to #16, but no one disagrees he’ll have plenty of options on the open market.

10. Mike Green, D, Detroit Red Wings — There was a time, nearly a decade ago, when Green was the shining example of an offensive defenseman. Two years in a row, starting in 2009, he finished second in Norris voting behind a more well-rounded player—first to Duncan Keith, then Zdeno Chara—despite point totals in the seventies. In 2008-09 he even recorded 31 goals, the highest total from a defenseman since Kevin Hatcher in 1992-93, and unmatched in the years since. At 32 years old he won’t be putting up 70 point seasons anymore, but is still an excellent puck mover and can quarterback a powerplay. He’ll likely be one of the stars of the trade deadline and free agent day.

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