Loui Eriksson vs David Backes

[DitClapper]

I get all that, but Backes isn't putting up 30 goals/70 odd points.

Personal stats don't win championships, unfortunately. Eriksson will never sniff a cup or even playoffs for that matter.

 

[Zac Rinaldo*]

Personal stats don't win championships, unfortunately. Eriksson will never sniff a cup or even playoffs for that matter.

lol.

 

[Mr. Make-Believe]

It's very difficult to make sense what's the plan now with this signing, they are all over the place with their moves.

Actually it's very easy to understand what the plan is... it's been explained plenty of times.

You just don't agree with it.

There's a line from a movie I love where a man on trial explains his lawyer's defense strategy:

"He said not to look at the facts, but the meaning behind the facts. And then he said the facts had no meaning."

I wonder if that doesn't reasonate.

 

[DitClapper]

lol.

What's truly hilarious is in Eriksson's 10 year career he has been in the playoffs twice. Now that is laugh out loud funny.

 

[Zac Rinaldo*]

What's truly hilarious is in Eriksson's 10 year career he has been in the playoffs twice. Now that is laugh out loud funny.

i bet if Loui were a Blue they'd have gone to the cup final

 

[moonshot summit]

What's truly hilarious is in Eriksson's 10 year career he has been in the playoffs twice. Now that is laugh out loud funny.

Is it Ray's fault he never won one in Boston?

 

[DitClapper]

Is it Ray's fault he never won one in Boston?

I'm not talking about a Stanley Cup. I'm talking playoffs. Yes, playoffs. And that's indicative on the player.

i bet if Loui were a Blue they'd have gone to the cup final

You see. And this is where I lol. lol.

 

[PatriceBergeron]

What's truly hilarious is in Eriksson's 10 year career he has been in the playoffs twice. Now that is laugh out loud funny.

Is David Backes a better player than Taylor Hall?

 

[DKH]

Loui deserves better in that poll. Backes is a better fit for Boston but if this was Chicago it would be hands down Loui

 

[DitClapper]

Is David Backes a better player than Taylor Hall?

It's tough to compare them because Hall is lightyears younger. He will end up having a better career, yes. And I understand what you are trying to get at. My answer. Edmonton sucks. The implications of your argument here shouldn't really be plausible simply for that reason.

 

[PatriceBergeron]

It's tough to compare them because Hall is lightyears younger. He will end up having a better career, yes. And I understand what you are trying to get at. My answer. Edmonton sucks. The implications of your argument here shouldn't really be plausible simply for that reason.

Hall is already much better. That's why my argument is plausible. Loui was on a horrible Dallas team for 7 years in a stacked division. They didn't start to turn it around until Nill was hired in 2013.

 

[BNHL]

Hall is already much better. That's why my argument is plausible. Loui was on a horrible Dallas team for 7 years in a stacked division. They didn't start to turn it around until Nill was hired in 2013.

Judging a player based on a lack of playoff appearances is ludicrous. Marcel Dionne had 49 playoff games in 17 years,he must suck!

 

[PatriceBergeron]

Judging a player based on a lack of playoff appearances is ludicrous. Marcel Dionne had 49 playoff games in 17 years,he must suck!

That's what I'm saying. Loui's lack of playoff appearances shouldn't be held against him in a comparison to Backes. He was on a bad Dallas team in the most stacked division in the NHL.

 

[radmcfad]

Agreed. There is nothing wrong with Ericsson's game on a team already having the leadership and physical presence Backes brings. I wish we could have them both.

 

[Zac Rinaldo*]

It's tough to compare them because Hall is lightyears younger. He will end up having a better career, yes. And I understand what you are trying to get at. My answer. Edmonton sucks. The implications of your argument here shouldn't really be plausible simply for that reason.

i don't think you're familiar enough with the teams Loui played for and their weaknesses, or the level of competition those pedestrian Dallas teams faced. it seems to me you've arbitrarily determined you do not care for the player, given that claiming a lack of playoff appearances reflects chiefly on an individual level is unsubstantial and actually directly contradicts the premise of your original assertion, that individual stats "don't win championships". not only are you conflating two conflicting ideas, but both are unsubstantial based on the history of the sport and the player in question. the fact of the matter is, Loui has been productive against high QoC throughout his career, has been metrically a very good to great defensive forward, and had a tremendous affect on this team's offense this past season. you're attributing a slew of obvious team-based flaws on a guy you just have decided you don't like, imo.

 

[ashnathan]

The game is about more than point totals, Backes is a better player in every facet of the game. Put him with Marchand and Bergeron his point totals will be the same as Eriksson's, put him on the third line and the Bruins have three lines they can roll that are all solid. Backes intangibles smoke Eriksson's, his physical play is 10 times better and he will be a leader. Eriksson isn't my type of player, he is boring and not physical, doesn't mean I don't think he is a solid top 6 wing when healthy, I'll just take Backes and what he brings.

The cap space option isn't an option, Bruins are still well under the cap, added a solid player in Backes and can still add. Besides another lock out is coming, owners don't have the players souls yet.

Respectively disagree entirely here. Not. A. Chance. He is worse offensively AND defensively than Loui. Im not saying I don't like the signing, I do, but if its a choice out of the 2, its Loui every day of the week and twice on Sundays and its not even close. As someone else already said, the fact Loui wasn't vocal, wasn't physical, and the...route it took to get him to Boston had him a bad reputation. If people are expecting Backes to be better than Loui then they are going to be massively disappointed.

 

[BNHL]

Respectively disagree entirely here. Not. A. Chance. He is worse offensively AND defensively than Loui. Im not saying I don't like the signing, I do, but if its a choice out of the 2, its Loui every day of the week and twice on Sundays and its not even close. As someone else already said, the fact Loui wasn't vocal, wasn't physical, and the...route it took to get him to Boston had him a bad reputation. If people are expecting Backes to be better than Loui then they are going to be massively disappointed.

But he'll be noisier both on the ice and in the locker room.

 

[petrobruin]

Backes seams to be on the short list most years to be in the running for the Selke but his defensive acumen falls short of Erikksons.

Has Loui ever been a finalist or mentioned for the Selke?

Just saying , some may be short changing Backes.

David Backes, the veteran center for the St. Louis Blues, always seems to be in the running for the Selke. His name first appeared in the voting in 2009-10, when he finished 49th with a single fourth place vote. By the next season, Backes had climbed to seventh. Since then he has never finished out of the top five in voting. - this was written Nov 2015

 

[BNHL]

Backes seams to be on the short list most years to be in the running for the Selke but his defensive acumen falls short of Erikksons.

Has Loui ever been a finalist or mentioned for the Selke?

Just saying , some may be short changing Backes.

David Backes, the veteran center for the St. Louis Blues, always seems to be in the running for the Selke. His name first appeared in the voting in 2009-10, when he finished 49th with a single fourth place vote. By the next season, Backes had climbed to seventh. Since then he has never finished out of the top five in voting. - this was written Nov 2015

They might be equal special teams players and equal defensively 5 on 5. I'll give a healthy Loui a generous edge on a healthy Backes, offensively 5 on 5.

 

[Fossy21]

Backes seams to be on the short list most years to be in the running for the Selke but his defensive acumen falls short of Erikksons.

Has Loui ever been a finalist or mentioned for the Selke?

Just saying , some may be short changing Backes.

David Backes, the veteran center for the St. Louis Blues, always seems to be in the running for the Selke. His name first appeared in the voting in 2009-10, when he finished 49th with a single fourth place vote. By the next season, Backes had climbed to seventh. Since then he has never finished out of the top five in voting. - this was written Nov 2015

Selke is a de facto Centre award. The only people in the top 20 of voting this year that don't play centre are Filip Forsberg and Mark Stone. I'm not going to go back and look whether Eriksson has placed in the top 20 previously (would bet that he has, or would have under the right circumstances), but even if he's never received a vote, his playing style defensively is a lot less eye-catching than that physical type players, and less statistically tangible than Centres at large, traditionally.

Hence why he was often called very underrated (both offensively and defensively) during his years in Dallas. Is he miles better than Backes in the neutral zone and back? Of course not. Did he have the better season last year on both sides of the puck, to go with being younger both at the start and end of his contract? Yes.

 

[DKH]

Agreed. There is nothing wrong with Ericsson's game on a team already having the leadership and physical presence Backes brings. I wish we could have them both.

Agree - I would have been happy with either. I think Backes fits better now especislly as 37 and 46 age and 42 can spread out the high leverage minutes

 

[Braunbaer]

Backes, but only because he suits the team identity better. I would say 80% of the teams in the league should prefer Louie because he suits their identity better. This team is meant to be in your face, hard working, and physical.

What identity?
There are no physical Big Bad Bruins anymore.

Backes' contract will come to bite the Bruins in the ass when his body/production/effectiveness go downhill because of his physical style of play.

 

[Zac Rinaldo*]

Agree - I would have been happy with either. I think Backes fits better now especislly as 37 and 46 age and 42 can spread out the high leverage minutes

i'm not sure his minutes will look very different than Loui's did, but that he can play extremely well at center ofc.

i really like both players, i just prefer Loui and don't see at all what others seem to see in his game as far as a lack of will

 

[BigGoalBrad]

i'm not sure his minutes will look very different than Loui's did, but that he can play extremely well at center ofc.

i really like both players, i just prefer Loui and don't see at all what others seem to see in his game as far as a lack of will

I agree that Loui is a very good player but he doesn't hit and isn't physical Backes is and fits us like a glove.


Loui made a fabulous move for himself he was amazing playing with the sisters in Sochi Olympics (which came during an awful concussion filled NHL season for him.) Be happy he was replaced with a better 'fit' if not a better player.


Adding a guy like Backes means its not a big deal if Hayes (or Vesey) underwhelm in terms of physicality. Backes+Beleskey is a lot of thump which we haven't had since Lucic was motivated and not lazy.

 

[TimThomas24]

Loui deserves better in that poll. Backes is a better fit for Boston but if this was Chicago it would be hands down Loui

This isn't a poll about Chicago though?