The Calgary Flames have lost a key piece for the time being.
Captain Mikael Backlund suffered a lower-body injury on Wednesday against the Vancouver Canucks and had to exit early. He never returned and is listed as week-to-week, per Daily Faceoff. This is far from ideal considering the playoff race is heating up. The Flames are currently holding the second Wild Card berth in the Western Conference.
Backlund is having a respectable 2024-25 campaign. He’s scored 11 goals and tallied 13 helpers, suiting up in all 64 games. While he doesn’t put up massive numbers, the Swede is a valuable player on both ends of the ice. The 2007 first-round pick has spent his entire NHL career with the Flames and is a beloved figure by the fans. Only Jarome Iginla has played more games for the franchise than Backlund, who has also hit the 20-goal mark on three occasions.
The injury appeared to happen on this play:
Backlund looked a bit awkward after going in for this hit.#Flames
: Sportsnet | NHL pic.twitter.com/Q20WV0Hflw
— The Win Column (@wincolumnCGY) March 13, 2025
The Flames ultimately lost 4-3 in a shootout at home and sit in fourth place in the Western Conference with a 30-23-11 record. Losing their captain is a gut-wrenching blow and Kevin Rooney alluded to:
“It always tough losing your captain,” Kevin Rooney told Flames TV. “He’s our leader on and off the ice. He has been tremendous for us on the ice and in the locker-room this year. Hopefully, he gets himself healthy and can be back as soon as he can.”
Considering it’s a week-to-week label, it’s frankly unknown how long Backlund could be sidelined. It will all depend on how he responds to treatment. Unfortunately, the Flames have a difficult spell coming up. They face the Colorado Avalanche on Friday night, followed by matchups with the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, and New York Islanders.
The Flames will need to dig deep to find results without their captain.
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