Backlund scored a goal on three shots, dished an assist and went plus-2 in Thursday's 5-1 win over the Kings.
Backlund's pair of points came in the third period. He set up a Zayne Parekh tally at 8:24 of the frame, then scored just over three minutes later. Backlund perhaps headed off some age-related concerns with eight goals over the last seven games of the season. Still, he had just 15 goals, 32 points and 175 shots over 76 outings this year. The Swedish center will be in a contract year in 2025-26.
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Flames' Mikael Backlund: Lights lamp Tuesday
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Backlund scored a goal on two shots and blocked two shots in Tuesday's 5-4 shootout win over the Golden Knights.
Backlund's tally at 1:04 of the third period tied the game at 3-3. The center has three goals and two assists during his four-game point streak. For the season, he's at 14 goals, 30 points, 172 shots on net, 51 blocked shots and a plus-2 rating over 75 appearances in a middle-six role.
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Flames' Mikael Backlund: Produces helper
Rotowire
Backlund notched an assist, two shots on goal, three hits and two blocked shots in Sunday's 5-2 win over the Sharks.
Backlund is playing some of his best hockey of the season with five points and 13 shots on net over his last five contests. The center set up a Matthew Coronato tally in the third period Sunday. Backlund is up to 29 points, 130 shots on net, 41 hits, 49 blocked shots, 32 PIM and a plus-2 rating over 74 appearances. He hasn't finished with fewer than 30 points since 2014-15, and he'll have up to two more chances to avoid that fate this season.
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Flames' Mikael Backlund: Opens scoring Friday
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Backlund scored a goal on five shots and blocked two shots in Friday's 4-2 win over the Wild.
Backlund has four points over his last four outings after going scoreless in his first five games back from an upper-body injury. His tally Friday opened the scoring late in the first period. The veteran center is up to 13 goals, 28 points, 168 shots on net, 47 blocked shots, 38 hits and a plus-2 rating across 73 appearances this season.
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Flames' Mikael Backlund: One of each Wednesday
Rotowire
Backlund scored a goal on five shots, dished an assist and added two PIM in Wednesday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Ducks.
Backlund has three points over his last three contests after going scoreless in five games following his return from an upper-body injury. The center is up to 12 goals, 27 points, 163 shots on net, 45 blocked shots, 32 PIM and a plus-1 rating across 72 appearances this season, playing in his usual top-six role.
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Flames' Mikael Backlund: First point since return
Rotowire
Backlund logged an assist in Saturday's 3-2 overtime loss to the Golden Knights.
Backlund snapped a six-game point drought, though he also missed six contests due to an upper-body injury in that stretch. He set up Matthew Coronato's third-period tally, which tied the game at 2-2. Backlund has had a down year with 25 points, 158 shots on net, 43 blocked shots, 37 hits and a minus-1 rating over 70 appearances. He also missed action for the first time since 2020-21, though the injury absence doesn't explain all of the drop in his offense from his 39-point total a year ago.
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Flames' Mikael Backlund: Ready to rock
Rotowire
Backlund (upper body) will be in the lineup against Dallas on Thursday, Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960 The Fan reports.
Backlund will return to a middle-six role and could see power-play time after missing the last six games. He has contributed 11 goals, 24 points, 146 shots on net, 39 blocked shots and 34 hits through 64 appearances this season. Backlund's return will probably result in Yegor Sharangovich being a healthy scratch.
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Flames' Mikael Backlund: Not ready to return
Rotowire
Backlund (upper body) isn't expected to play Tuesday versus Seattle, per Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960 The Fan.
Backlund has 11 goals and 24 points in 64 appearances in 2024-25. He hasn't been in the lineup since March 12. When Backlund does return, he'll likely serve in a top-six capacity.
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Flames' Mikael Backlund: Set for extended absence
Rotowire
Backlund (upper body) was labeled week-to-week by the Flames on Friday.
Backlund has played in all 64 games this season, generating 11 goals and 13 helpers. At this point, Backlund looks poised to record his lowest point total since the 2014-15 campaign when he generated just 27 points in 52 appearances. Still, if he can get back into the lineup sooner rather than later, Backlund could be capable of challenging for the 30-point threshold.
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Flames' Mikael Backlund: Departs Wednesday's game
Rotowire
Backlund (upper body) won't return to Wednesday's game versus the Canucks.
Backlund was injured in the first period of the contest. The 35-year-old center has not missed a game since the 2020-21 campaign, but his ironman streak could be in danger if he's not ready to suit up again in time for Friday's contest versus the Avalanche. Connor Zary or Yegor Sharangovich could move to center if Backlund misses time, while Adam Klapka is the extra healthy forward on the roster.
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Flames' Mikael Backlund: Snaps goal drought
Rotowire
Backlund scored a goal on three shots and blocked two shots in Thursday's 3-2 overtime loss to the Stars.
Backlund had gone 15 games without a goal, and he was limited to two assists with a minus-10 rating in that span. Despite his struggles on offense, he remains in a top-six role -- it's not like the Flames have better centers who can match Backlund's two-way skills. The 35-year-old has 11 goals, 23 points, 143 shots on net, 39 blocked shots and a minus-1 rating over 62 appearances this season. In previous years, he's been a strong second-half player, but it doesn't look like he'll be able to tap into that magic in 2024-25.
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Flames' Mikael Backlund: Contributes power-play assist
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Backlund notched a power-play assist in Sunday's 3-2 win over the Kraken.
Backlund ended a four-game slump when he set up a Yegor Sharangovich tally in the first period. The 35-year-old Backlund saw 17:15 of ice time Sunday, less than both Nazem Kadri and Morgan Frost among Calgary's centers. Backlund has maintained a heavy workload as a high-end defensive center this season, averaging 19:14 per game while racking up 22 points (six on the power play), 125 shots on net and a plus-5 rating across 52 appearances.
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Flames' Mikael Backlund: Puts away shortie
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Backlund scored a shorthanded empty-net goal on two shots in Thursday's 5-2 win over the Sabres.
Backlund has three goals over nine outings in January. The 35-year-old center hasn't added a ton of offense in a second-line role, but he's been steady in his own zone as a shutdown forward. He's collected 10 goals, 20 points, 121 shots on net, 28 hits and a plus-8 rating through 46 appearances in 2024-25.
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Flames' Mikael Backlund: Credited with goal
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Backlund scored a goal on two shots in Monday's 5-2 win over the Blackhawks.
Backlund ultimately got the credit on the Flames' game-winner, as he was judged to get the last touch during a net-front scramble. The center has two goals over five outings in January, and he's produced seven points over his last 12 contests. That's a pretty standard level of production for Backlund, who is at 19 points, 112 shots and a plus-7 rating through 42 appearances this season.
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Flames' Mikael Backlund: Nets lone goal in loss
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Backlund scored a goal on three shots in Saturday's 4-1 loss to the Predators.
Backlund got the Flames on the board late in the second period, but a comeback push never materialized. The 35-year-old center snapped a three-game point drought with the tally. He's up to eight goals, 18 points, 106 shots on net and a plus-4 rating through 39 appearances, primarily functioning as a second-line center.
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Flames' Mikael Backlund: Buries power-play goal
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Backlund scored a power-play goal on three shots in Saturday's 3-1 win over the Sharks.
Backlund restored the Flames' lead at 6:50 of the second period, and his goal was the game-winner. The 35-year-old center is warming up with three goals, two assists and 16 shots on net over his last five outings. For the season, he has seven goals, 17 points (four on the power play), 98 shots, 20 hits, 20 blocked shots, 20 PIM and a plus-6 rating through 35 appearances. Backlund can be a decent depth center in fantasy when his offense is going, but he may be best utilized as a streaming option.
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Flames' Mikael Backlund: Finds twine in win
Rotowire
Backlund scored a goal on six shots and added four PIM in Saturday's 6-4 win over the Blackhawks.
Backlund has four points, 13 shots on net, six blocked shots and eight PIM over his last four games. The center typically isn't a great source of category coverage, but he can usually chip in some offense. For the season, the 35-year-old has six goals, 10 assists, 95 shots on net, 20 PIM and a plus-6 rating through 34 outings.
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Flames' Mikael Backlund: Picks up assist
Rotowire
Backlund logged an assist in Tuesday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Bruins.
Backlund has five points over seven outings in December. The 35-year-old center helped out on a Matthew Coronato tally in the second period. Backlund is up to 15 points, 85 shots on net, 19 hits, 18 blocked shots and a plus-6 rating over 32 outings. He's on pace to push for 35-40 points once again while staying steady in a top-six role.
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Flames' Mikael Backlund: One of each in win
Rotowire
Backlund scored a goal on two shots, dished an assist, blocked four shots and went plus-2 in Saturday's 3-0 win over the Panthers.
The third-period goal was Backlund's first tally since Nov. 11. He had just three assists over the 14 games between goals -- the Flames' low-scoring offense has left few points to go around this season. Backlund is up to five goals, nine helpers, 84 shots on net, 19 hits, 17 blocked shots and a plus-7 rating over 31 appearances. The 35-year-old continues to be important to the team in all situations, so he will log big minutes whether he generates offense or not.
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Flames' Mikael Backlund: Supplies pair of helpers
Rotowire
Backlund notched two assists, including one on the power play, in Tuesday's 3-0 win over the Blue Jackets.
Backlund set up Rasmus Andersson's power-play goal midway through the game and also fed Yegor Sharangovich for the empty-netter. This was Backlund's first multi-point effort since Nov. 11 versus the Kings -- over the nine games in between, he was limited to one assist. The veteran center is up to 12 points (three on the power play), 64 shots on net, a plus-6 rating, 17 hits and 11 blocked shots through 26 appearances in his usual top-six role.
