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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

King Clancy Memorial Trophy Leadership and Humanitarian Contribution 2022-23

Compare with a similar player

The forwards closest to him in points in 2015-16. Pick one to see the two side by side, or choose someone else.

Jarome Iginla COL · 47 P in 82 GP Shane Doan ARI · 47 P in 72 GP Jordan Eberle EDM · 47 P in 69 GP Jordan Staal CAR · 48 P in 82 GP Patrick Marleau SJS · 48 P in 82 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.

020402008-09: 0 points008-092009-10: 10 points102010-11: 25 points2510-112011-12: 11 points112012-13: 16 points1612-132013-14: 39 points392014-15: 27 points2714-152015-16: 47 points472016-17: 53 points5316-172017-18: 45 points452018-19: 47 points4718-192019-20: 45 points452020-21: 32 points3220-212021-22: 39 points392022-23: 56 points5622-232023-24: 39 points392024-25: 32 points3224-252025-26: 43 points432026-27: 1 points126-27

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 4 1 0 1 -3 0 17 4 0.25 $3.25M
19 seasons Career 1152 233 374 607 70 503 2779 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

2015-16 season totals

GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP Shooting % Avg TOI
82 21 26 47 10 28 155 68 0.57 13.5 16:26

Contract

$3.575MCap hitends in 2018, then UFA
$76KCap dollars per point47 points in 82 games
$457KCap dollars per goal above replacement7.8 goals above replacement
$5.5MWorth at the going ratewhat teams paid for a season like his
+$1.9MValueworth minus cap hit; below zero is overpaid

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. Value is coloured by where it ranks among the 668 ranked skaters whose contract is known. How value is worked out.

The contract

Signed by the Calgary Flames on Jun 20, 2015, as an extension of the contract he was on: 3 years and $10.725M, beginning in 2015-16. It runs through 2017-18, with 2 seasons left after this one, and he is then an unrestricted free agent.

Season Cap hit Base salary Signing bonus Performance bonuses Paid in all Clause
2015-16 $3.575M $3.575M $0 $3.575M
2016-17 $3.575M $3.575M $0 $3.575M
2017-18 $3.575M $3.575M $0 $3.575M

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 2015-16 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.

2015-16 analytics

Rating

+7.8Goals above replacement113th of 675 skaters, 80th of 445 forwards
+1.3Wins above replacementgoals above replacement divided by six
+4.1Goals above averagethe five parts below added up

Each number is coloured by where it ranks among the 445 ranked forwards: green is in the top fifth and red the bottom fifth, with paler shades in between and amber for the middle. Hover over a tile for its percentile.

Even-strength offence+2.7 81st percentileEven-strength defence+3.3 97th percentilePower play-0.4 19th percentilePenalty kill-0.8 3rd percentilePenalties-0.6 17th percentile

The goals he added to his team's goal difference, compared with a spare-part player given the same ice time. Each part is measured against the league, so zero is an average skater, and the rank beside it is among forwards. A full season is about two-thirds the player and one-third chance. Before 2023-24 the NHL timed events less exactly, and differently from rink to rink, so expected goals for this season are rougher than for recent ones.

0510152010-112013-142016-172019-202022-232025-26Goals above replacementGoals above replacement, by season

On the ice

What happened at five-on-five while he was on the ice. What these numbers mean

52.2Corsi for %1007 attempts for, 922 against
+5.7CF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
52.5Expected goals for %40.5 expected for, 36.6 against
+5.1xGF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
52.7Fenwick for %unblocked attempts
56.6Goals for %47 for, 36 against
100.2PDO8.6% shooting + 91.6% saves
203Attempts takenhis own shot attempts

Each share is coloured by where it ranks among the 561 skaters who played enough to be ranked: green is in the top fifth and red the bottom fifth, with paler shades in between and amber for the middle. Hover over a tile for its percentile. PDO and attempts taken are left plain, since neither is good or bad on its own.

Who he played with

Forward lineGPTimeCF%xGF%Goals
Michael Frolik · Mikael Backlund · Sam Bennett32259:4351.650.311-9
Michael Frolik · Mikael Backlund · Joe Colborne18104:2852.545.65-3
Mason Raymond · Michael Frolik · Mikael Backlund1258:1950.054.14-3
Mikael Backlund · Joe Colborne · Micheal Ferland1455:3551.960.13-1

The lines he spent the most time in at five-on-five, with the team's share of the shot attempts and expected goals, and the goals for and against, while they were out. The two shares are coloured as above, against the league's lines that played a fair amount together. Hover over one for its percentile.

Chances and finishing

Expected goals adds up how likely each of his shots was to go in, judged by where it came from, what kind of shot it was and whether it was a rebound. All situations, leaving out shots at an empty net. Before 2023-24 the NHL timed events less exactly, and differently from rink to rink, so expected goals for this season are rougher than for recent ones.

20Goalsnot counting empty-netters
16.6Expected goalsfrom 207 unblocked attempts
+3.4Goals above expectedgoals minus expected goals
Chances created 0.74 expected goals per 60 minutes59th
Shot quality 8.0% chance per attempt67th
Finishing +3.4 goals above expected84thOne season of finishing is mostly luck.

Each bar shows the share of forwards he is ahead of, among the 412 who played 300 minutes or more this season.

05101520Game 20Game 40Game 60Game 80Goals 20Expected 16.6

His goals and his expected goals as the season went on. When the goals line pulls away above, he is scoring more than his chances were worth; below, less.

Where he shot from

Every attempt he took this season, in all situations, attacking the net on the right. Darker red means more attempts from that spot, and each dot is a goal. "Show every shot" switches to a dot for each attempt, bigger for a better chance. Click a goal for its details.

Game log

Date Opponent Result G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits TOI
Apr 9, 2016 @ MIN W 2-1 0 1 1 1 2 0 0 16:59
Apr 7, 2016 vs VAN W 7-3 3 0 3 3 0 4 0 14:10
Apr 5, 2016 vs LAK L 4-5 (OT) 1 0 1 -1 0 2 1 16:31
Apr 2, 2016 @ EDM W 5-0 2 1 3 3 0 3 0 18:22
Mar 31, 2016 @ LAK L 0-3 0 0 0 0 2 1 2 15:02
Mar 30, 2016 @ ANA L 3-8 0 0 0 -1 2 1 2 17:02
Mar 28, 2016 @ ARI W 5-2 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 17:03
Mar 26, 2016 vs CHI L 1-4 0 0 0 -1 0 2 0 18:26
Mar 24, 2016 @ MIN L 2-6 0 0 0 -1 0 3 0 17:21
Mar 21, 2016 @ TOR L 2-5 0 0 0 -2 0 0 2 18:55
Mar 20, 2016 @ MTL W 4-1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 15:54
Mar 18, 2016 vs COL L 3-4 (SO) 0 0 0 -1 0 2 0 20:08
Mar 16, 2016 vs WPG W 4-1 0 2 2 2 0 2 0 16:56
Mar 14, 2016 vs STL W 7-4 0 1 1 0 0 3 1 18:44
Mar 11, 2016 vs ARI L 1-4 1 0 1 1 0 2 0 19:15
Mar 9, 2016 vs NSH W 3-2 (OT) 1 0 1 1 2 5 0 18:31
Mar 7, 2016 vs SJS L 1-2 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 19:50
Mar 5, 2016 @ PIT W 4-2 1 1 2 2 0 4 1 16:23
Mar 3, 2016 @ BUF L 3-6 1 0 1 -2 2 1 0 15:16
Mar 1, 2016 @ BOS L 1-2 0 0 0 1 0 2 1 17:30
Feb 29, 2016 @ PHI L 3-5 0 0 0 -2 0 2 1 18:18
Feb 27, 2016 vs OTT L 4-6 0 1 1 -1 2 2 0 16:30
Feb 25, 2016 vs NYI L 1-2 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 20:44
Feb 23, 2016 @ LAK L 1-2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 17:19
Feb 21, 2016 @ ANA L 2-5 1 0 1 1 0 2 0 18:20
Feb 19, 2016 vs VAN W 5-2 1 1 2 2 0 3 0 13:33
Feb 17, 2016 vs MIN L 3-5 1 0 1 0 0 3 2 19:28
Feb 15, 2016 vs ANA L 4-6 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 17:35
Feb 12, 2016 @ ARI L 1-4 0 0 0 -1 2 0 1 15:14
Feb 11, 2016 @ SJS W 6-5 (SO) 1 0 1 2 2 3 2 21:54
Feb 9, 2016 vs TOR W 4-3 1 0 1 0 0 2 0 19:07
Feb 6, 2016 @ VAN W 4-1 1 1 2 3 0 1 0 18:08
Feb 5, 2016 vs CBJ L 1-2 0 0 0 -2 0 3 0 15:26
Feb 3, 2016 vs CAR W 4-1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 17:26
Jan 27, 2016 vs NSH L 1-2 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 19:20
Jan 25, 2016 @ DAL L 1-2 0 0 0 -1 0 1 0 17:12
Jan 24, 2016 @ CAR L 2-5 0 0 0 -1 0 1 1 22:05
Jan 21, 2016 @ CBJ W 4-2 0 2 2 3 0 4 2 18:40
Jan 19, 2016 @ NJD L 2-4 0 0 0 -2 0 1 3 18:19
Jan 16, 2016 @ EDM L 1-2 (SO) 0 1 1 0 0 4 5 19:45
Jan 13, 2016 vs FLA W 6-0 0 1 1 3 2 2 2 15:52
Jan 11, 2016 vs SJS L 4-5 0 2 2 -1 2 6 1 18:53
Jan 7, 2016 vs ARI L 1-2 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 19:22
Jan 5, 2016 vs TBL W 3-1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 15:48
Jan 2, 2016 @ COL W 4-0 1 0 1 1 0 4 0 17:30
Dec 31, 2015 vs LAK L 1-4 0 0 0 1 0 2 1 17:33
Dec 29, 2015 vs ANA L 0-1 0 0 0 -1 0 0 3 15:53
Dec 27, 2015 vs EDM W 5-3 0 1 1 0 0 3 4 17:57
Dec 22, 2015 vs WPG W 4-1 0 1 1 2 0 0 1 17:21
Dec 20, 2015 @ DET L 2-4 0 0 0 0 2 2 4 19:55
Dec 19, 2015 @ STL L 2-3 0 1 1 1 0 1 4 12:58
Dec 17, 2015 @ DAL W 3-1 0 1 1 1 0 0 2 11:48
Dec 15, 2015 @ NSH W 2-1 (OT) 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 13:17
Dec 12, 2015 vs NYR W 5-4 (OT) 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 14:06
Dec 10, 2015 vs BUF W 4-3 0 0 0 -1 0 2 0 15:02
Dec 8, 2015 vs SJS W 4-2 1 1 2 1 0 5 0 11:50
Dec 4, 2015 vs BOS W 5-4 (OT) 0 0 0 -1 0 2 0 11:46
Dec 1, 2015 vs DAL W 4-3 (SO) 1 0 1 1 0 4 0 12:57
Nov 28, 2015 @ SJS L 2-5 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 10:53
Nov 27, 2015 @ ARI L 1-2 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 13:15
Nov 24, 2015 @ ANA L 3-5 0 1 1 2 0 3 1 15:48
Nov 20, 2015 vs CHI W 2-1 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 15:47
Nov 17, 2015 vs NJD W 3-2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 16:25
Nov 15, 2015 @ CHI L 1-4 0 0 0 -1 0 1 3 13:35
Nov 13, 2015 @ WSH W 3-2 (OT) 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 17:08
Nov 12, 2015 @ TBL L 1-3 0 1 1 -1 0 0 1 16:54
Nov 10, 2015 @ FLA L 3-4 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 17:39
Nov 7, 2015 vs PIT W 5-2 0 3 3 2 0 2 1 15:58
Nov 5, 2015 vs PHI W 2-1 (OT) 1 1 2 1 0 2 0 17:33
Nov 3, 2015 @ COL L 3-6 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 10:44
Oct 31, 2015 @ EDM W 5-4 0 0 0 1 2 3 2 09:22
Oct 30, 2015 vs MTL L 2-6 0 0 0 -1 0 1 0 14:53
Oct 28, 2015 @ OTT L 4-5 (SO) 0 0 0 -1 0 1 0 14:51
Oct 26, 2015 @ NYI L 0-4 0 0 0 -2 0 1 1 18:01
Oct 25, 2015 @ NYR L 1-4 0 0 0 -1 0 4 1 17:12
Oct 23, 2015 vs DET W 3-2 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 16:43
Oct 20, 2015 vs WSH L 2-6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 16:01
Oct 17, 2015 vs EDM L 2-5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 16:29
Oct 16, 2015 @ WPG L 1-3 1 0 1 1 0 2 0 15:47
Oct 13, 2015 vs STL L 3-4 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 08:28
Oct 10, 2015 @ VAN W 3-2 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 10:05
Oct 7, 2015 vs VAN L 1-5 0 0 0 -3 0 4 2 15:11