Where does Mikael Backlund rank among Flames greats?

March 17 is a lot of things to a lot of people. This year it’s a Tuesday. It’s the date that commemorates the death date of St. Patrick’ the patron saint of Ireland. But more importantly for fans of the Calgary Flames, it’s Mikael Backlund’s birthday.

He’s 31 today, and has quietly become one of the most important players in franchise history.

The Flames’ first round pick in the 2007 NHL Draft, 26th overall, Backlund has the second-most seniority of any player in the organization – Mark Giordano has two years on him, but nobody else comes close otherwise.

Backlund’s road to the NHL is effectively the argument many give regarding being patient with Sam Bennett’s development. After a brief stint with the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets, Backlund went pro in 2009 and began his steady, gradual climb into the Flames’ top six. He spent his first few seasons under Brent Sutter’s tutelage, playing primarily in the bottom six and being placed with depth players as linemates. He progressed, but bad injury luck seemed to hamper his breakout.

In a lot of ways, the 2012-13 lockout was the best thing to happen to Backlund’s career. Playing a top offensive role on his hometown team, Backlund had 30 points in 23 games playing against some of the NHL’s top players. He came back with a ton of confidence and was a 0.5 point per game player. The following season his offense grew again.

Originally a favourite of the FlamesNation crew for how he made chicken salad out of his murky deployments under Brent Sutter – his underlyings were strong and suggested that he would flourish with better linemates – Backlund was one of the unsung heroes of the early rebuild years by taking iffy linemates and making them look like world-beaters. Several players have the so-called “Backlund Bump” to thank for some hefty raises they received after spending a season on his flank.

Eventually Backlund’s offense caught up to his two-way play and ability to elevate his linemates. He finished 4th in Selke Trophy balloting in 2016-17 – the first time in his career he received any votes at all – and was subsequently 13th in 2017-18 and 8th in 2018-19. It’s a reputational award, and Backlund has built up a certain cache in the analytics community and the PHWA membership.

Quietly, Backlund has put together a very impressive resume with the Flames franchise.

Backlund is under contract until the end of 2023-24, and has a full no-trade clause through 2020-21 and a modified 20-team no-trade list through the rest of his deal. He has all the hallmarks of a lifer. In terms of the role he’s played on the team, the tough-minutes two-way center, nobody has done it better for longer.