Calgary Flames Sign Mikael Backlund To 3-Year, $10 Million Contract Extension

The NHL's Calgary Flames have signed center Mikael Backlund to a contract extension worth about $10 million over three years. The team confirmed the signing over the weekend with the contract value being reported by ESPN.

Backlund, who had 10 goals and 27 points in the 2014-15 regular season, missed 30 games of 82 games last year because of an injury. The native of Sweden stated in an interview on the team’s official website that he liked his time with the Flames and said the contract extension was an easy decision.

“It was pretty good timing, there's a big celebration going on here in Sweden. I had most of my friends here last night and my family so it was pretty good timing with everybody here,” the 26-year-old Backlund said. "We were sitting on a dock and I saw the call and I put it on speaker and my agent told me the deal and everybody was pretty excited."

The Flames made the playoffs last season, going 45-30-7 in the regular season. Calgary was eliminated in the second round of the postseason by the Anaheim Ducks in five games.

Calgary is not done signing its own free agents, with other players like Lance Bouma, Josh Jooris, Drew Shore, and Micheal Ferland up for a contract extension like Backlund.