According to numbers obtained from Hockey Reference, there have been 641 players (including goalies) to pull on a Calgary Flames uniform. Additionally, the club has selected 475 players through the NHL Entry Draft since its inception in 1972.
Even though the team has had their fair share of Hall of Famers walking through the halls of the Scotiabank Saddledome, the organization had never had one of their developed prospects skate in 900 games until Mikael Backlund achieved the feat recently.
Although Jarome Iginla spent most of his career in red and still holds most of the team records, he came to the club through a trade with the Dallas Stars, who selected him in the first round of the 1995 NHL Entry Draft. So, when it comes to discussing records held by Flames who were drafted and developed by the team, Backlund is on his way to becoming one of the Flames’ most underrated players ever.
Backlund Continues to Ascend Flames’ All-Time Lists
Backlund was a first-round pick (24th overall) in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, selected after Jonathon Blum (Nashville), who played in 110 games, and before Patrick White (Vancouver), who never made it to the NHL. Currently, he has skated in the 10th most games (902) from his draft class, which is a testament to his ability to be a role player and not the superstar on the team.
When the Flames need someone to kill penalties and score a shorthanded goal now and then, Backlund is one of the first players tapped on the shoulder and sent over the boards. Additionally, he is the skater coaches can rely upon to win a key faceoff and play solid defense, earning him votes for the Selke Trophy in five of the last seven seasons.
Related: Flames’ Backlund Has Defined Career Through Two-Way Play
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Although it took Backlund a few seasons to find his offensive game in the league, he finally reached the 20-goal plateau in his eighth season. Therefore, he’s on the cusp of sliding into the 10th spot on the Flames’ all-time scoring list, needing only 17 points.
Eventually, when he scores his 506th career point, he’ll share a space occupied with former greats like Theoren Fleury, Al…
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