A Hidden Starter?

by Flyersfan94 on Aug 6, 2010 12:39 AM EDT

Well with the season nearing closer and closer it looks like Michael Leighton will in fact be the starter come opening night against the Penguins. Brian Boucher (as of right now) seems to be penciled in as the back-up. But some what of a dark horse here is Johan Backlund. I knew that many people (as did I) think that Backlund could beat out Boucher for the back-up, but could we see him emerge as the starter during training camp?

When th Flyers signed Backlund two years ago, I didn't think much of it. I thought to myself "well here's a starter for the Adirondack Phantoms". But after hearing what Backlund did in the A.H.L. this past season, posting a .909 save %, 17 wins, 2 shutouts and a 2.79 goals against average, I was impressed. Although they are not overly impressive numbers, he was playing for the Phantoms, a team that wasn't exactly great.

Backlund was on the roster for a lot of games last season with the Flyers, but watched most of the time. The game he did play him he impressed a lot of people. Although his game was cut short to only 40 minutes of play, he only allowed two goals on 20 shots, and of all things against Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Besides those two periods against the Penguins Backlund never saw any N.H.L. action.

One other thing that hinted that Holmgren was confident that Backlund could make the roster this season was plainly him being re-signed. There is no room for him in Adirondack with the arrivals of Sergei Bobrovsky and Nicola Riopel, so Holmgren obviousley believes that he can be of use at the N.H.L. level. Hopefully Backlund can step up prove that he can start for the Flyers.

Poll

Could Johan Backlund Be Our Starter?

Yes

70 votes

No

61 votes

131 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

Johan Backlund

He’s no secret.

Backing Backlund for 2010-2011
Mourning Gagne forever.

by ToddtheFox on Aug 6, 2010 1:36 AM EDT reply actions

Who’s this Giroux kid?

by Vansteel on Aug 6, 2010 3:58 AM EDT up reply actions

Dunno but if he keeps playing so well and dazzling us with his dangles we may have to trade him for a fourth round pick and another defenseman.

by Giroux-ling for Cheese on Aug 6, 2010 11:39 AM EDT up reply actions

You’re dreaming about that fourth round pick. I’d say he goes for two no. 7 defensemen to shore up our depth in defense.

Briere, Betts and Pronger; Briere, Betts and Pronger; Briere, Betts and Pronger;
Our team is so much stronger
We've got Briere, Betts and Pronger...

by PursuitOfLappyness on Aug 6, 2010 10:24 PM EDT up reply actions

i would rather see B-squared get one last hurrah in the black and orange this year. i don’t see anyone really emerging as our starter. give 35 starts to leights, 35 to b^2, and 12 to johan (assuming someone gets hurt). we’re probably going to have a goalie platoon until the spring.

by McNabbSoup on Aug 6, 2010 8:38 AM EDT reply actions

Just a note on the phrasing of the poll: It should say without injury. Based on last year Darkside or I have a good chance of being at least a backup at some point during the season.

Flyers Fans: We've survived Lock-outs, Lindros and Cooperalls. If you want to get rid of us, you'll have to split an atom or two.

by KreiderDesigns on Aug 6, 2010 10:10 AM EDT reply actions

I’m always looking for a new job.

"All hail the Flyers" Jim Jackson.

by darkside3744 on Aug 6, 2010 11:18 PM EDT up reply actions

Backlund is over-hyped. He had a nice year with the phantoms and played 40 mins in the NHL I wouldn’t hitch my wagon to him yet.

by tmurder on Aug 6, 2010 10:47 AM EDT via mobile reply actions

I think the desperation for a real stand-out goalie in Flyerland is pushing that fantasy. I don’t see him as a starter yet, but I could see him becoming the backup by midseason (via trading away Boucher or injury to someone).

Maybe it should read "reformedpenguinsfan" since I have retired my Lemeiux jersey ... and purchased an Orange and Black Pronger jersey.

by MaximumTalbot on Aug 6, 2010 12:31 PM EDT up reply actions

Yup

Ofcourse we are in fantasy land wih the goalies, we have to pray that at least one of our 47 back-ups do well.

by Flyersfan94 on Aug 6, 2010 3:16 PM EDT up reply actions

What about his seasons in the Elitserien?

Backing Backlund for 2010-2011
Mourning Gagne forever.

by ToddtheFox on Aug 6, 2010 6:10 PM EDT up reply actions

That’s nice but it isn’t the nhl. He’s proven nothing at the nhl level. To call him the next starter is foolish. You can sure hope he becomes a good starter but he isn’t anywhere near ready yet.

by tmurder on Aug 6, 2010 6:16 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Could Johan Backlund Be Our Starter?

Yes, he could.

Backing Backlund for 2010-2011
Mourning Gagne forever.

by ToddtheFox on Aug 6, 2010 6:28 PM EDT up reply actions

Anything could happen of course. I’m saying let’s cool down the backlund this, backlund that until we see more at the nhl level. For all we know he could suffer another setback and never play again for the flyers.

by tmurder on Aug 6, 2010 7:44 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

No one is saying that Backlund is going to come in and set the league on fire with 10 consecutive shut outs. Speculation that he’s good enough to eventually be the Flyers starter does no harm.

Backing Backlund for 2010-2011
Mourning Gagne forever.

by ToddtheFox on Aug 6, 2010 8:16 PM EDT up reply actions

I understand that. However I think its a little better to take lesser expectations and find out whether he’s an NHL level goalie before speculating whether he’ll be the starter. I’m all for giving him a good look at camp and if roster space and cap space permit a couple starts in the first few weeks to see how he does.

by tmurder on Aug 6, 2010 10:44 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

That’s all everyone is doing initially. I believe, due to a combination of Backlund’s ability and Leighton’s lack of ability, that he could be the starter.

Backing Backlund for 2010-2011
Mourning Gagne forever.

by ToddtheFox on Aug 6, 2010 10:58 PM EDT up reply actions

Have you seen much of backlund besides that one game. Because that one game doesn’t lead me anywhere near those conclusions.

by tmurder on Aug 6, 2010 11:22 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Just Phantoms videos on Youtube. I don’t need to see him to know that he was the only reason that the Phantoms won a lot of their games. Or that he was the best goaltender in the Elitserien. I get what you’re saying in that we shouldn’t put all our hopes in him, but your argument that because we haven’t seen him in the NHL we shouldn’t think much of him is very flawed. A lot of the hockey world is high on Bernier and how many NHL games has he played?

Backing Backlund for 2010-2011
Mourning Gagne forever.

by ToddtheFox on Aug 6, 2010 11:50 PM EDT up reply actions

But if he does worse than Boosh and Leights does he go to the Phantoms or just kept on the roster as the 3rd string?

by Flyersfan94 on Aug 6, 2010 11:53 PM EDT up reply actions

For his sake, it’s best to send him down and let him play at least part of the time…. But with our recent luck, I wouldn’t be surprised that if either Leighton or Boosh showed any warning signs or potential trouble we start carrying a 3rd goalie on the roster, cap-willing.

by DragonGirl0583 on Aug 7, 2010 12:02 AM EDT up reply actions

(But that was just my opinion, anyway)

by DragonGirl0583 on Aug 7, 2010 12:02 AM EDT up reply actions

Wow phantoms on youtube that’s commitment. I know what you meant with the second sentence but someone could misconstrue it and come away thinking the phantoms won a lot of their games. I look at bernier similarly. I’m guessing well see more from bernier this year as he’ll probably be quick’s backup. I wish we had a more solid starter so we could give backlund the backup job to see what he can do. However the flyers are in an awkward goaltending position.

by tmurder on Aug 7, 2010 12:07 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

As much as I hate to say it

It makes sense to trade Boucher. That way Backlund can get some starts as a backup, something he has deserved, and Bob and Riopel can battle it out in the AHL. If Backlund is a no. 3 goalie on the roster, he is gaining nothing apart from Jeff Reese looking at him and working his game. If he’s playing in the AHL, then we would have to push either Bob or Riopel to lesser ECHL competition.

Actually, Homer still hasn’t re-signed Riopel has he?

Briere, Betts and Pronger; Briere, Betts and Pronger; Briere, Betts and Pronger;
Our team is so much stronger
We've got Briere, Betts and Pronger...

by PursuitOfLappyness on Aug 6, 2010 10:25 PM EDT reply actions

Not as far as I can tell. But we’ve only got 5 goalies on the 50 man contract list at the moment, which I think is the minimum limit. To me, there’s no way we can risk only having 5, even if we makes some trades and it’s not the same 5 we’re currently looking at. We really need to sign Riopel, I’m just guessing Homer is trying to hold off until camp.

by DragonGirl0583 on Aug 6, 2010 10:51 PM EDT up reply actions

Thing is of the 3 goalies boucher is the most consistent. You know what boucher is a solid backup. Neither leighton nor backlund offer the same certainty in role that boucher does. Plus I doubt moving boucher this early offers much if any in return.

by tmurder on Aug 6, 2010 11:19 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Agreed

Boucher is the only goalie on the team that you can expect to do the same every game. Obviousley at their best Leighton is better than Boosh, but you can always depend on Boosh to be a good back-up, while Leighton goes up and down. I said from the beginning that Leighton and Backlund should not have been re-signed, and should have gotten a goalie for the Phantoms with Riopel and Bobrovsky (maybe Yann Danis) and also a veteran netminder to start.

by Flyersfan94 on Aug 6, 2010 11:39 PM EDT up reply actions