Analysts Call on Calgary Flames to Trade Longtime Player Imminently
Mikael Backlund is the longest tenured member of the Calgary Flames, but now, the team have been urged to trade him late in his career.
The Calgary Flames have been very busy overhauling their roster in the past few years, and with all of the speculation around both Nazem Kadri and Rasmus Andersson in recent times, there could be some blockbuster trades coming soon.
On top of that, they've also got the likes of Blake Coleman that could be dealt, but now, The Hockey Writers have called upon the team to trade long-time player and current captain Mikael Backlund this season.
The 36-year old made his debut for Calgary over 16 years ago, and since then has played in 1,066 games with the team, becoming one of the most consistent two-way players in the modern history of the organization.
Despite how beloved he is in the community and by the organization, Backlund hasn't had much of a shot at winning the Stanley Cup, and this has led many fans and analysts to suggest the team trade him to a contending team at the trade deadline in 2026.
While his production fell off in 2024/25, as he posted just 15 goals and 32 points in 76 games played, Backlund is one of the best defensive centre's in the National Hockey League, and with contending teams always needing that down the middle, a trade makes perfect sense in the near future.
Ultimately, it's more likely than not that the team will leave Backlund's fate up to him moving forward, as they would likely respect his wishes to remain a Flame for life if that's what he wants, but if not, don't be shocked to see speculation continuing to heat up in the coming months.
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