The Flames have selected Forward Mikael Backlund out of Västerås Sweden 24th overall, trading their 18th pick for the 70th Pick from St. Louis.
He looks like a good kid, good size for his age and looks to play a solid game, has some knee injury issues that he will need to get sorted out but looks like a really solid sure fire NHLer in the future.
TSN's Take on Backlund:
 Pos: Centre Shoots: L Height: 6'0" Weight: 194 lbs. Born: 3/17/1989 From: Vasteras, SWE Team: Vasteras (SWE-2) RANKINGS TSN: 15 CSB: 2 E ISS: 10 RLR: 35 McK: 19 THN: 37 | The TSN Insider's Forecast: Swedish forward Mikael Backlund is a smart, hard-working, two-way winger who understands the game at both ends of the ice and who, according to our survey, is entrenched as no worse than a mid-first round pick. But the X factor on the playmaking Swede is the knee problem he experienced this season. He eventually required knee surgery but he was able to bounce back from that and most scouts are encouraged it's not going to be a major issue. He certainly played well at the Under-18 tourney last summer. From NHL Central Scouting: A smart center with excellent speed. Has soft hands and high-end passing ability. Sees the ice well and has good hockey sense. Has a strong shot and a nose for the net. Did not play a lot this season due to injury. Helped lead Team Sweden to a bronze medal at the 2007 Under-18 World Championships after defeating Canada 8-3. Was the leading goal scorer (7) at the Under-18 World Championships. Was named Most Valuable Player of the 2006 Mac's Midget Tournament. From ISS: Backlund was expected to come flying out of the gates looking to improve on his fine rookie season. However, he struggled early in the season, wasn�t producing offensively and then suffered a knee injury. He has good hands. Handles the puck well at top speed. Forechecks hard. Ultimately, we feel it will be tough for a team to overlook a player with the offensive potential that he brings to the table. | ||||||
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | Pim | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-2007 | Vasteras (SWE-2) | 41 | 20 | 26 | 46 | 60 | |
| 2007 Playoffs | Vasteras (SWE-Jr) | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | |
NHL.com Story on Backlund
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