Mikael Backlund
#11 · Centre · Calgary Flames
Born Mar 17, 1989 in Vasteras, SWE (age 37) · 6'0", 206 lb · Shoots left · Drafted 24th overall in 2007 by CGY (round 1)
Trophy case
Compare with a similar player
The forwards closest to him in points in 2008-09. Pick one to see the two side by side, or choose someone else.
Alexander Nikulin
PHX ·
0 P in 1 GP
Andrew Gordon
WSH ·
0 P in 1 GP
Artem Anisimov
NYR ·
0 P in 1 GP
Boyd Kane
PHI ·
0 P in 1 GP
Connor James
PIT ·
0 P in 1 GP
Career
Regular season games only. Pick a season to see its game log below. Cap hit is what he counted against the salary cap that season, where it is known.
Points by season. The darker bar is the season shown below.
| Season | Team | GP | G | A | P | +/- | PIM | Shots | Hits | P/GP | Cap hit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-09 | CGY | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00 | $875K |
| 2009-10 | CGY | 23 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 5 | 6 | 47 | 12 | 0.43 | $846K |
| 2010-11 | CGY | 73 | 10 | 15 | 25 | 4 | 18 | 144 | 35 | 0.34 | $846K |
| 2011-12 | CGY | 41 | 4 | 7 | 11 | -13 | 16 | 85 | 25 | 0.27 | $846K |
| 2012-13 | CGY | 32 | 8 | 8 | 16 | -6 | 29 | 88 | 31 | 0.50 | $725K |
| 2013-14 | CGY | 76 | 18 | 21 | 39 | 4 | 32 | 178 | 64 | 0.51 | $1.5M |
| 2014-15 | CGY | 52 | 10 | 17 | 27 | 4 | 14 | 103 | 41 | 0.52 | $1.5M |
| 2015-16 | CGY | 82 | 21 | 26 | 47 | 10 | 28 | 155 | 68 | 0.57 | $3.575M |
| 2016-17 | CGY | 81 | 22 | 31 | 53 | 9 | 36 | 197 | 55 | 0.65 | $3.575M |
| 2017-18 | CGY | 82 | 14 | 31 | 45 | -21 | 78 | 214 | 54 | 0.55 | $3.575M |
| 2018-19 | CGY | 77 | 21 | 26 | 47 | 34 | 52 | 205 | 52 | 0.61 | $5.35M |
| 2019-20 | CGY | 70 | 16 | 29 | 45 | 3 | 26 | 157 | 44 | 0.64 | $5.35M |
| 2020-21 | CGY | 54 | 9 | 23 | 32 | -7 | 30 | 144 | 43 | 0.59 | $5.35M |
| 2021-22 | CGY | 82 | 12 | 27 | 39 | 16 | 30 | 214 | 62 | 0.48 | $5.35M |
| 2022-23 | CGY | 82 | 19 | 37 | 56 | 24 | 36 | 260 | 97 | 0.68 | $5.35M |
| 2023-24 | CGY | 82 | 15 | 24 | 39 | -4 | 24 | 209 | 70 | 0.48 | $5.35M |
| 2024-25 | CGY | 76 | 15 | 17 | 32 | 4 | 32 | 175 | 41 | 0.42 | $4.5M |
| 2025-26 | CGY | 82 | 17 | 26 | 43 | 7 | 16 | 186 | 23 | 0.52 | $4.5M |
| 2026-27 | CGY | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -3 | 0 | 18 | 4 | 0.20 | $3.25M |
| 19 seasons | Career | 1153 | 233 | 374 | 607 | 70 | 503 | 2780 | 821 | 0.53 |
Playoffs
Playoff games only. Pick a season to see that year's bracket.
| Season | Team | GP | G | A | P | +/- | PIM | Shots | Hits | P/GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-15 | CGY | 11 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 8 | 30 | 12 | 0.18 |
| 2016-17 | CGY | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -3 | 0 | 14 | 8 | 0.75 |
| 2018-19 | CGY | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -5 | 8 | 17 | 11 | 0.60 |
| 2019-20 | CGY | 10 | 4 | 2 | 6 | -2 | 8 | 27 | 19 | 0.60 |
| 2021-22 | CGY | 12 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 33 | 17 | 0.67 |
| 5 seasons | Playoffs | 42 | 12 | 10 | 22 | -5 | 32 | 121 | 67 | 0.52 |
2008-09 season totals
| GP | G | A | P | +/- | PIM | Shots | Hits | P/GP | Shooting % | Avg TOI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.0 | 10:44 |
Contract
His cap hit for the whole season, set against what he did in the regular season. Lower is better value. In a season still being played the cost per point starts high and falls as the games add up.
The contract
Signed by the Calgary Flames on May 2, 2008, as an entry-level contract: 3 years and $3.9M, beginning in 2009-10. This season is not one of its years: an entry-level contract slides back a year when a player signed at 18 or 19 plays fewer than 10 NHL games. It runs through 2011-12, with 3 seasons left after this one, and he is then a restricted free agent.
| Season | Cap hit | Base salary | Signing bonus | Performance bonuses | Paid in all | Clause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-10 | $846K | $788K | $88K | $425K | $875K | |
| 2010-11 | $846K | $788K | $88K | $425K | $875K | |
| 2011-12 | $846K | $788K | $0 | $425K | $788K |
Each season of the contract, with this one marked. The cap hit is the same every year; what he is paid is not. The pay is as written when the contract was recorded in October 2024, so a later change, such as the rise in the lowest salary for 2026-27, is not shown.
Contracts he has signed
| Signed | Signed by | Kind | Seasons | Years | In all | Cap hit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 17, 2025 | Calgary Flames | Extension | 2026-27 to 2027-28 | 2 | $6.5M | $3.25M |
| Sep 27, 2023 | Calgary Flames | Extension (35+) | 2024-25 to 2025-26 | 2 | $9M | $4.5M |
| Feb 16, 2018 | Calgary Flames | Extension | 2018-19 to 2023-24 | 6 | $32.1M | $5.35M |
| Jun 20, 2015 | Calgary Flames | Extension | 2015-16 to 2017-18 | 3 | $10.725M | $3.575M |
| Jul 10, 2013 | Calgary Flames | New contract | 2013-14 to 2014-15 | 2 | $3M | $1.5M |
| Jul 5, 2012 | Calgary Flames | New contract | 2012-13 to 2012-13 | 1 | $725K | $725K |
| May 2, 2008 | Calgary Flames | Entry-level | 2009-10 to 2011-12 signed for 2008-09, slid | 3 | $3.9M | $846K |
Every contract on record for him, newest first, with the team that signed him to it and the day it was signed. The one covering 2008-09 is marked. An extension is signed while the contract before it is still running, often a year ahead. A row with no team or date is a contract known only by its cap hit, most often one signed since October 2024.
Game log
| Date | Opponent | Result | G | A | P | +/- | PIM | Shots | Hits | TOI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 8, 2009 | vs NYI | W 5-2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10:44 |