Flames' Mikael Backlund: Will use offseason to rest ailing back

Backlund will not play with Team Sweden at the 2017 IIHF World Championships due to recurring back pain, Roger Millions of Sportsnet reports.

Analysis:

Backlund only missed one game out of a possible 86 during the Flames' 2016-17 campaign, so it's hard to fault the 27-year-old for wanting to take some time off the ice. Despite the back issue, he's fully expected to be ready for Calgary's offseason programs leading up to the 2017-18 season.