The Calgary Flames locked their captain up on Wednesday, signing Mikael Backlund to a two-year, $6.5 million extension that will carry through the 2027-28 season. It’s one of many extensions general manager Craig Conroy has dished out this summer as he continues to work through the retooling era of this organization.
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The decision to extend Backlund doesn’t come as a surprise, though some felt that at 36, it may be of more benefit to the organization to look to fill his roster spot come the 2026-27 season with younger prospects who are getting closer to being NHL ready. Conroy clearly doesn’t share that same belief, however, and spoke with reporters on Wednesday in regard to what led to his decision of giving Backlund a two-year extension.
Veterans are Always Important
If there’s one thing Backlund can show the young up-and-comers in the Flames organization, it’s what it takes to properly recover to help ensure a lengthy NHL career. The Swedish centre has logged 1,066 career games to date, and has a good chance to break Jarome Iginla’s franchise record of 1,219.
Of course, Backlund provides much more than just that. His solid attention to detail has allowed him to continue to be a dependable two-way forward. His defensive awareness is well known, and he is still able to chip in offensively as shown by last season’s 15 goals and 32 points.
He also adds plenty of leadership, which can’t be discounted. He’s not only the longest-tenured Flame on the roster by a long shot, but is set to enter his third season as the organization’s captain. All this to say, there is plenty more value Backlund brings to this team than just what you may see on the ice, something which Conroy said played a part in re-signing him.
“He wants to be a Calgary Flame. He is a Calgary Flame. I can’t see him in another jersey,” Conroy said to reporters on Wednesday. “To have him back and leading our young guys, I know we have to have young guys and we have young guys coming, but Backs is exactly what we want in our captain and our leader. I think it sets a great example for where we want to go as an organization.”
What this also does is show Backlund’s commitment to the city of Calgary. The Flames organization has watched many players depart for what some may deem as more-preferred markets in recent years. Backlund’s extension is proof that players want to be in Calgary, especially in the current Conroy-led era.
“We’re super excited, me and my whole family. We love Calgary. This is our home,” Backlund said. “We’re really proud that we get to represent the team for three new years. To be a part of the new arena, and be a part of this leadership group that’s hopefully going to push this team in the right direction here. We’re super excited.”
How Backlund will perform moving forward remains to be seen, as it’s no secret that players around his age generally begin to see their play, and in particular their offensive production, fall off. That said, his leadership and dedication to the game, paired with his $3.25 million cap hit, make it a contract that carries little to no risk for the Flames at this time.
Tidy Business from the Flames
The Flames have now been able to re-sign Matt Coronato, Morgan Frost, Adam Klapka, Justin Kirkland, Kevin Bahl, Martin Pospisil, Connor Zary, Dustin Wolf, and, of course, Backlund this offseason. It shows that this current group is committed to Calgary, which is a good sign for the Flames as they look to slowly morph into Stanley Cup contenders.
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The Flames now have just six players on expiring contracts entering this season, two of which include Kirkland and summer free-agent signing Ivan Prosvetov. The others who Conroy will need to make decisions on in the future are Ryan Lomberg, Rasmus Andersson, Jake Bean, and Daniil Miromanov.
