"We'll see what happens": Flames' Backlund not ruling out a future extension

Mikael Backlund has yet to close the door on an extension with the Calgary Flames, but he isn’t open to signing one yet.

Backlund has been one of several players rumoured to want out of Calgary this offseason. Given that he has just one season remaining on his contract, many have speculated that he could be traded prior to or during the 2023-24 season. Based on a recent interview he gave with Swedish outlet Expressen, however, signing an extension has yet to be ruled out by his camp.

“There are no closed doors to extend later, but last season was tough,” Backlund admitted in Swedish (translated with Google Translate). “A lot has happened in the last year. I feel that I want to wait and see.”

Despite not wanting to sign an extension right now, the 34-year-old seems excited to return and play for the Flames this upcoming season.

“I’m ready to come back and play the season and if it goes great, I might want to extend after the season,” Backlund said. “If it doesn’t go well, we’ll see what happens.”

Backlund, who is the Flames’ longest-tenured player, was believed to have been offered the captaincy role had he signed an extension this offseason. Based on what he is saying, however, it seems the most important thing to him at this point in his career is winning.

Despite a career-high 56 points from Backlund this past season, the Flames struggled as a team, finishing two points shy of the Winnipeg Jets for the final wild card position in the Western Conference. Their disappointing year has led to many changes, with Craig Conroy replacing Brad Treliving, and Ryan Huska taking over behind the bench for Darryl Sutter.

Perhaps these changes alone will make the upcoming season a more enjoyable one for Backlund and several others on the Flames roster.

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