Calgary Flames captain Mikael Backlund chatted not too long ago with the general manager of Sweden’s Olympic team. Article content

The message was motivating. Article content Article content

“He said, ‘The bottom six is wide-open. It’s a dogfight,’ ” Backlund relayed. “He brought up leadership, experience, a lot of P.K. So he said, ‘Do what you do, and we’ll see what happens.’ ”

The Olympic roster deadline is now only a few weeks away, and it can’t hurt that Backlund has of late been doing what he does best — and doing it well.

The 36-year-old centre has even been getting some love as an early contender for the Selke Trophy as the NHL’s best defensive forward.

“Of course, Olympics is in the back of your mind, but you can’t control it,” Backlund told Postmedia. “All I can cont

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