Mikael Backlund may have been the one assured of a nice pay bump over the ensuing six years, but Brad Treliving looked like the guy who'd just heard his 50/50 number called.
"He's an important player,'' said the Calgary Flames' general manager, having polished off a lengthy extension for the valuable Swedish centreman. "He's a part of the culture, the DNA, of our team.
"He looks after himself. He plays in a lot of situations, on both sides of the puck. Plays a premier position.
"He fits here. This is a guy who helps you win. We've locked up a core piece of our team.
"It's a great day.
"To get this done is a big piece of business."
BACKLUND A CORE PIECE IN CALGARY
Brad Treliving views Mikael Backlund as the type of player a team needs to win
![GettyImages-451342600](https://media.d3.nhle.com/image/private/t_ratio16_9-size20/f_auto/prd/dvjricnymkhjrx1ireii.jpg)
© Bruce Bennett/Getty Images