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#46 Mattias Backman Pos: D D.O.B.: 10/3/92 From: Linkoping, Sweden Height: 6'2 Weight: 170 Shoots: Left Drafted: 2011 Draft 5th rnd, 146th overall by Detroit Red Wings Acquired: Signed 3yr contract with Detroit (NHL) 5/22/13 Personal: Plus: Smooth skater is very mobile... Plays safe, simple game... Great first pass... Very calm and confident... Great positioning and heads up play leave him seemingly in the right place all the time... Minus: Needs to bulk up large frame... No one skill stands out... Not overly physical for size... Capable of carrying the puck and leading the rush up ice... Organizational Comments: "In the current game, where defensemen have to turn back quickly and get the puck after a dump-in while being chased by a guy who's 200 pounds and flying at 100 miles an hour, he is one of the few who can really handle that pressure, go back and get the puck and skate out of traffic. He's got that ability with the puck and he sees the ice. He can make plays under pressure." Jiri Fischer - Wings Director of Player Personnel What GRC says: Spring 2014: Backstrom has been compared favorably with former wing Niklas Lidstrom, heavy praise for such a young player. He is calm and airtight defensively, with enough skill to help at the other end of the rink. His skating is smooth and effortless and allows him to get into position, or get the puck out of harms way almost at will. He should get a nice audition in the AHL at the end of the season with an eye towards coming back in 2014-15. Role: Two-way defenseman Projection: NHL Top 4 rearguard Statistics: Transactions 5/22/13 Signed 3yr contract with Detroit (NHL) 4/15/14 Re-assigned from Linkopings (SEL) by Detroit (NHL)