Kukla's Korner Hockey
Flames Hope 1st Round Pick Can Make An Impact
by Paul on 07/21/08 at 08:59 AM ET
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from Bruce Dowbiggin of the Calgary Herald,
Nineteen-year-old Mikael Backlund will skate with the draftees and free agents this week. But the hope is the young Swede will knock everyone’s socks off and jump from prospect to producer with the big club.
The greening of Backlund could well decide whether Calgary moves forward or falls back this coming season….
Many scouts feel he’s very close to ready.
And now you can see why GM Darryl Sutter went so far from his comfort level in selecting a European player in the first round of the 2007 draft.
Put simply, this organization desperately needs a skilled player on an entry-level contract to emerge now—not in 12 months or two years.
The core of veterans assembled in Calgary has maybe another season or so left at its peak.
At about $57.6 million in guaranteed money, the Flames have reached the salary cap.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Calgary Flames | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Mikael+Backlund,
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