Calgary Flames New Recruit: Niklas Backstrom

Niklas Backstrom doesn’t quite match the profile of the other players acquired by the Calgary Flames in the run towards the trade deadline.

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Backstrom, for one, is old enough to have fathered some of the Calgary Flames prospects.

It’s safe to say that Niklas Backstrom wasn’t acquired as a future prospect, future project or as part of any sort of Calgary Flames future.

He lands with the Calgary Flames purely due to circumstance. The Minnesota Wild needed to shed some cap space to allow them to acquire David Jones and Backstrom was able to offer that.

In landing with the Calgary Flames, there is a chance that Backstrom will see NHL ice-time this year. It’s well-documented that Jonas Hiller, Joni Ortio and the now sidelined Karri Ramo have been struggling between the pipes.

Backstrom, to his credit, is no pushover between the pipes, he just happens to be nearing his thirty-ninth birthday and that will likely mean he’ll be tasked with helping the youngsters progress as players, as opposed to seeing too much ice-time himself.

He certainly has credentials as a goaltender, as the all-time leader in games, wins and shut-outs for the Minnesota Wild. He stated in an interview with the Calgary Herald that this made it especially hard to leave Minnesota behind.

“Ten years in Minnesota, I’ve grown pretty big roots there, so it was pretty emotional,” said Backstrom, following the trade.

However, as hockey goes and as we’ve seen beyond just the Calgary Flames; sentimentality isn’t the game. The business of hockey is the game.

Backstrom represents a piece that was shuffled purely to maintain the Minnesota Wild salary cap. He represents one piece of a two-piece trade (the other, a draft pick).

Whether or not Backstrom is able to take control of the Calgary Flames net is somewhat redundant.

Whether or not the Calgary Flames keep him beyond this year is also somewhat redundant.

Here is a professional, who has a job. He’ll do the job between the pipes; indeed, he may even be better in there than what the Calgary Flames currently have.

His biggest task will be to present himself as the consummate professional in the locker-room and help to teach the younger guys in the room how they should portray themselves as people.

As a locker-room veteran, that is his biggest asset.

Next: A Look At The New Guys: Hunter Shinkaruk

What did you think of the deal that saw Backstrom land with the Calgary Flames?

Is the move a wise choice given his age and veteran presence? Was it calculated to help the youngsters become better professionals?

Did Backstrom deserve to be traded after such loyal service to the Minnesota Wild over the past ten years?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

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