Friday night the Calgary Flames announced they agreed to terms with Mikael Backlund on a six-year contract extension worth $32.1 million ($5.35M per).
The deal comes with a no-trade clause over the first three years before switching to a modified NTC over the final three years of the deal.
I'm generally not a fan of paying up for a player's age 29-34 seasons but I think this was a good signing and one GM Brad Treliving had to make.
Since the beginning of the 2015-16 season, Backlund has averaged ~20 goals and ~50 points per 82 games played. Those are really solid numbers.
Backlund has posted them while being tasked with shutting down the opposition's best players on a nightly basis. Few have been as effective in that role, which is why Backlund finished top-5 in Selke voting just a season ago.
He is an extremely important player and not a guy the Flames could afford to let go. They want to contend over the next few years. Losing Backlund would completely erase any chance they have of doing that.
It's not like anybody in free agency can play his role at such a high-level – John Tavares isn't an option even if he hits the open market – and there certainly isn't anyone in house who can.
Maybe the Flames had to give Backlund a year or two more than they'd like but the price is right and it sure beats the alternative of letting him go.
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