All of the attention for the Calgary Flames right now appears to be on both Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin, but with a decision likely to come on their their crop of 2024 UFA’s soon, Mikael Backlund is someone that could no doubt garner plenty of attention on the trade market.
Reportedly, other teams have taken notice of the veteran centre, as Elliotte Friedman has now officially revealed that the Colorado Avalanche engaged in conversations with the Flames about Backlund around draft time, and while nothing came of it then, there’s a chance these teams circle back on conversations soon. The Avalanche have since made some great moves to add centre depth as they continue to search for yet another Stanley Cup victory, but it shows that there’s definitely interest out there in a two-way veteran coming off a career year in 2022-23, who is unlikely to return to the Flames at this point.
Backlund may not fetch the return that many fans are hoping for, but after a stellar career in Calgary, he deserves to compete for a Championship, and it appears at this point that the team are ready to make that happen, so keep an eye on No. 11 as the off-season rolls on and the Flames look to continue building this roster under General Manager Craig Conroy.
So what do you think? What can the Flames get in return for Backlund? Who would you like to land from Colorado? Do you think he gets traded this off-season? As always, let us know all your thoughts in the comments below.