Mikael Backlund is the longest-tenured player currently on the Calgary Flames by a solid margin. He has been a pillar of consistency in the middle six of the Flames for nearly 15 years. In his prime, he was often a shoo-in for 15 to 20 goals and 40 points, and that was just on the offensive side of the ice.
Inside his own blue line, he became known as one of the more underrated defensive centres in hockey. He played well enough to land a few Selke Trophy nominations as well as a spot on the second line of the Calgary Flames Quarter-Century Team. Despite that, it would seem time has begun to catch up to the 35-year-old captain, and fans are noticing.
Mikael Backlund has never been primarily an offensive player. His career high in points is only 56, which he achieved just two seasons prior to this one in 2022–23. Even with that being said, there has been a noticeable drop off since that season.
Backlund had a down year offensively last season, scoring only 39 points in 82 games. It was certainly a drop-off, but not something that was that unexpected from him. He has dropped below 40 points many times in the past. What is more shocking is that his numbers continued to fall this season as he is currently on pace for only 34 points. The lowest he would’ve had in a full season since 2010–11.
Backlund’s shot is not what it once was
Something some fans have been quick to notice has been Backlund’s drop in shot accuracy. While he has never been considered a sniper—with his career shooting percentage only sitting at 8.3%—there has been a noticeable increase in misses for Calgary’s captain.
From 2012–13 to 2019–20, Backlund only had one season below 9.5% shooting percentage, with the vast majority of those seasons being above 10%. In the seasons since, he has only gotten above 8% once, which was, ironically, this year.
| Year | Games Played | Shooting % | % of SOG |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 | 52 | 8.0% | 50.2% |
| 2023–24 | 82 | 7.2% | 53.5% |
| 2022–23 | 82 | 7.3% | 61.3% |
| 2021–22 | 82 | 5.6% | 60.3% |
Perhaps the more jarring stat would have to be the percentage of shots Backlund has put on goal. Prior to the 2022–23 season, he had always kept his percentage of shots put on goal around 57 to 60%.
In the last two seasons, we have seen that hit a steep decline, with this year’s 50.2% being the worst of his career. That drop of nearly 10% has been very noticeable, with many fans being quick to point out his misses online. One fan online went as far as to say that “Backlund has to lead the league in [missed shots]” during a recent game.
How is Backlund’s defensive game holding up?
Backlund had been one of the better defensive centers in hockey for a long time, but the stats seem to suggest that his regression on the defensive side may have started last season. He had around the same number of takeaways in 2023–24 compared to previous years but, noticeably, was on the ice for significantly more goals against. In fact, it was the highest his GA/60 has been in his entire career. The only time he had ever been close to that mark was back in 2017–18.
Knowing Backlund’s regular patterns, it should have been expected that he would bounce back, but as you can see in the table below, that would not be the case. He would match his own previous career high in on-ice GA/60 and see a drop in takeaways as well. It would seem that even where he was once the strongest, he is beginning to see some regression.
| Year | Games Played | Takeaways | On-Ice GA/60 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 | 52 | 28 | 3.5 |
| 2023–24 | 82 | 61 | 3.6 |
| 2022–23 | 82 | 60 | 2.6 |
| 2021–22 | 82 | 55 | 2.5 |
Backlund’s legacy as a Calgary Flame
Mikael Backlund’s decline has been a tough one to watch. He represents multiple eras of Flames teams that have long since gone. You almost never see players spend 17 years with the same team. That type of loyalty is not only rare in the NHL, but in most professional sports leagues worldwide.
Backlund has dedicated his entire career to the team and the city and has more than earned the right to end his career as a Calgary Flame. A right that not many Flames legends have gotten before him.
Having to watch him slowly become less like the player he once was is hard, but it is part of this game. Every player, no matter how consistent, has a shelf life. The only real question that remains is exactly how much sand is left in Mikael Backlund’s hourglass.
