Speculation: David Backes House For Sale

[2 Minute Minor]

I kind of expect Backes to use other team's offers to try and pressure Armstrong to move a little on his best offer. And Armstrong probably will. Even these statements we've read from Armstrong are part of the negotiations.

 

[Majorityof1]

I kind of expect Backes to use other team's offers to try and pressure Armstrong to move a little on his best offer. And Armstrong probably will. Even these statements we've read from Armstrong are part of the negotiations.

Armstrong could also be biding for more time to get a handle on our cap situation. We know Backes will give us right of first refusal on any offer, even if he doesn't have to. We will know a lot more on Schwartz, potential roster players from Shatty trade, other free agents we may target and our ability to possibly shed salary in trades by free agency. So give Backes a chance to talk to others while we figure out our cap status. Then reconvene and try again.

 

[SteenMachine]

I just hope Backes' indecision before July 1st isn't what convinces Armstrong to start committing to Brouwer so he can at least have a game plan for dealing Shattenkirk and then we lose two of our better players. I get that he needs some of that money for Steen and Schwartz but man we better get something better than his usual trade-down and try to sell the fans on his reclamation project and draft pick.

 

[KingBran]

I think Backes is already gone.

He is going to go for $ or go home. If he wanted to stay in STL he would have signed by now. He was the captain and has done a lot here for this city but it's time for someone else to step up. Backes wants to get paid (I don't blame him) or go home. He will be on a Canadian team that will way overpay him or he will go to MIN.

Bank on it.

I just hope he doesn't do the whole Pujols thing and say he prayed to god to find out what he should do then go to the highest bidder.

 

[2 Minute Minor]

I think Backes is already gone.

He is going to go for $ or go home. If he wanted to stay in STL he would have signed by now. He was the captain and has done a lot here for this city but it's time for someone else to step up. Backes wants to get paid (I don't blame him) or go home. He will be on a Canadian team that will way overpay him or he will go to MIN.

Bank on it.

I just hope he doesn't do the whole Pujols thing and say he prayed to god to find out what he should do then go to the highest bidder.

Do you think Backes was being deceptive when he said he wanted to stay in St Louis?

Your scenario doesn't leave any room for him to use the market to help set the price, and bring that information back to the Blues. Think of it as a poor man's arbitrator.

To me July 1st isn't as significant with the Backes negotiations. There is still a good chance they get him re-signed.

 

[KingBran]

Do you think Backes was being deceptive when he said he wanted to stay in St Louis?

Your scenario doesn't leave any room for him to use the market to help set the price, and bring that information back to the Blues. Think of it as a poor man's arbitrator.

To me July 1st isn't as significant with the Backes negotiations. There is still a good chance they get him re-signed.

Yes. I do. Its like Pujols saying he wanted to stay in STL. Or any other athlete who said they wanted to stay with their current team. What is Backes going to say "Yeah I know we just made the WCF, I am the captain and I have done a lot for the community here but... meh, its a great place but I might go chase money somewhere else."

Seen that excuse so many times. That they will use the market to show what they can get elsewhere as leverage to stay. Didn't help COL sign Stastny. So many times you see guys go to FA and that's the reason you hear it and so many times they don't come back.

July 1st should be very significant to you. It has almost everything to do with Backes and his future right now. It's very significant.

 

[2 Minute Minor]

Yes. I do. Its like Pujols saying he wanted to stay in STL. Or any other athlete who said they wanted to stay with their current team. What is Backes going to say "Yeah I know we just made the WCF, I am the captain and I have done a lot for the community here but... meh, its a great place but I might go chase money somewhere else."

Seen that excuse so many times. That they will use the market to show what they can get elsewhere as leverage to stay. Didn't help COL sign Stastny. So many times you see guys go to FA and that's the reason you hear it and so many times they don't come back.

July 1st should be very significant to you. It has almost everything to do with Backes and his future right now. It's very significant.

Maybe he goes elsewhere. Armstrong sounds like he's going to stick to his guns, and not willing to give a bad contract term.

I don't care about baseball so the Pujols analogy is lost on me. But was Pujols the team captain?

I do think there is a sense of unfinished business that makes it more attractive to a player to want to stay. It might not be enough. But there is a big difference between a situation where the guy has made up his mind already and is just giving lip service to staying, and where he'd like to stay but he just can't ignore the difference in contracts offered elsewhere.

You seem so certain he's leaving, I just think the negotiation is ongoing. I also think it clears up a lot after we see what's going on with Shattenkirk, and who the return is.

 

[KingBran]

Maybe he goes elsewhere. Armstrong sounds like he's going to stick to his guns, and not willing to give a bad contract term.

I don't care about baseball so the Pujols analogy is lost on me. But was Pujols the team captain?

I do think there is a sense of unfinished business that makes it more attractive to a player to want to stay. It might not be enough. But there is a big difference between a situation where the guy has made up his mind already and is just giving lip service to staying, and where he'd like to stay but he just can't ignore the difference in contracts offered elsewhere.

You seem so certain he's leaving, I just think the negotiation is ongoing. I also think it clears up a lot after we see what's going on with Shattenkirk, and who the return is.

The bolded is exactly why I think he will be gone. He will get HUGE offers on the FA market that the Blues won't be able to compete with. Or he will take lesser money to play at home in MIN.

Baseball doesn't have captains but if they did you bet Pujols would have been it. I thought there was no way he left STL. He owned this town. It's a different sport but it's the same business. Money talks in both sports.

Seems to me like Backes has already made up his mind. Didn't negotiate during the season, house is for sale, he knows he will get paid. If Kesler can get a 6-yr 41.25m (6.875m / yr) why couldn't Backes get at least that? He probably will, and it wont be on the Blues.

Im sure negotiations are ongoing... I am also sure nothing will get done before July 1. Backes will get some amazing offers and I just don't think the Blues can compete.

 

[Linkens Mastery]

If Backes leaves, the player that has been with the organization the longest will now be Ryan Reaves.

 

[Stealth JD]

If Backes leaves, the player that has been with the organization the longest will now be Ryan Reaves.

True.

But the longest tenured BLUES will be Berglund and Pietrangelo, who both debuted in '08 - '09. Reaves didn't make his NHL debut until '10-'11...even though he was drafted in '05.

 

[Renard]

If I'm David Backes, I would think to myself "how much money do I need? I'm a team captain, a local hero, I have a home in St. Louis and I'm already a rich man by most men's standards. Why not finish my career in St. Louis and not squeeze the franchise for a deal that makes them pay for me when I'm a liability on the ice?"

 

[KingBran]

If I'm David Backes, I would think to myself "how much money do I need? I'm a team captain, a local hero, I have a home in St. Louis and I'm already a rich man by most men's standards. Why not finish my career in St. Louis and not squeeze the franchise for a deal that makes them pay for me when I'm a liability on the ice?"

That's literally what every fan of every major star that becomes an FA at some point in their town thinks at one point. Reality is, some people go for the money or the glory. Theres no glory in STL. Historically or with the media. Look at Elliott and Allen. They were easily the best tandem all season, put them on MTL or TOR and they would be getting so much hype and publicity. Subban makes a big donation to a charity, its all over TSN. Backes saving stray dogs in Russia and finding homes for them in STL... nobody cared except local media.

My point is, everyone is different. Some guys will take a discount to stay with the team they have been a part of from the beginning, some will run for $, some run for a different team with a better chance, some run for glory... etc.

Backes seemed to me like a guy that would stay in STL and have a deal done by now. But he doesn't have a deal done yet and looks like he wants to see what FA will do for him. Hes gone.

 

[Alklha]

If I'm David Backes, I would think to myself "how much money do I need? I'm a team captain, a local hero, I have a home in St. Louis and I'm already a rich man by most men's standards. Why not finish my career in St. Louis and not squeeze the franchise for a deal that makes them pay for me when I'm a liability on the ice?"

That depends on what we're offering. If we are talking $5.5m for 4 years then the disparity between that and the Kesler contract is too big to see beyond.

We can talk about what a joke the Kesler contract is, but if one GM gave a contract like that...

 

[Renard]

That depends on what we're offering. If we are talking $5.5m for 4 years then the disparity between that and the Kesler contract is too big to see beyond.

We can talk about what a joke the Kesler contract is, but if one GM gave a contract like that...

I'm guessing that most guys in Backes' spot think they will make fools of themselves if they don't hold out for top dollar. They may also think they will alienate other players, who think that moderate salary demands somehow hurts their finances too.

I don't know. I'm hoping that Backes is stronger than "most guys" and agrees to a short term we can live with and then calls it a career.

The part of all this that really bothers me is a guy signing a contract that is plainly beyond his remaining useful years, and the team gives it to him because they know some greater fool will give it to him if they don't. Especially when the player involved is already rich.

 

[ManyIdeas]

I wouldn't be mad at Capn for going elsewhere for top dollar. Sure, he has made a stupid amount of money compared to most already and seemingly could get a real job afterwards due to his education, but who would pass up the opportunity to make the most money possible doing something you already do?

I'd like him back, but not at the expense of the teams best interests.

 

[Ranksu]

Teemu Selänne taked very cheaps contracts on Anaheim, 'cus he wanted badly Stanley Cup and he succeeded there. He could ask a lot of money, but he put SC in his 1st priority not money.
Anaheim get flexibility to cap and they acquire Pronger in their team and eventually they won Stanley Cup.

 

[KingBran]

Teemu Selänne taked very cheaps contracts on Anaheim, 'cus he wanted badly Stanley Cup and he succeeded there. He could ask a lot of money, but he put SC in his 1st priority not money.
Anaheim get flexibility to cap and they acquire Pronger in their team and eventually they won Stanley Cup.

You can find examples like that all over the place. Stastny took less money to come to STL because he thought they had a better chance of winning a cup than some of the teams who offered him over 8m. Kariya took a cheap contract in COL to play with Selanne and everyone thought they would win a cup there... oops.

If Backes is offered a Kesler-esque contract and the Blues offer maybe 2 years less with about 2 less million / seasons you can see why he would walk.

 

[SteenMachine]

You can find examples like that all over the place. Stastny took less money to come to STL because he thought they had a better chance of winning a cup than some of the teams who offered him over 8m. Kariya took a cheap contract in COL to play with Selanne and everyone thought they would win a cup there... oops.

If Backes is offered a Kesler-esque contract and the Blues offer maybe 2 years less with about 2 less million / seasons you can see why he would walk.

It'll be a lot more interesting to see who makes those kinds of offers. Some teams can't afford him any more than we can (long term), others won't get the impact they need out of him to be a Cup contender and maybe he'll see it that way himself.

I agree he's the kind of player that's coveted in a dramatic fashion, that he's gonna get "big UFA money" offers. If it's someone trying to flip a rebuild into a re-tool they're gonna have to really sell him on living there for a long time as well as his long shot to win a championship being worth it.

He's a hard guy to label as someone with the hubris to think he can win anywhere or willing to be bought out of some sense of loyalty. I think that's part of why he needs to test the market is to see for himself what the options are. I doubt the idea of him leaving the team that got him this far is all that it's going to take for him to settle on a "home team discount" but he's a unique person when it comes to his character.

 

[Linkens Mastery]

Perron bought it, he's coming back and forming a line with Paajarvi and Barbashev.

Omg!!!

 

[Borderbluesfan]

Perron bought it, he's coming back and forming a line with Paajarvi and Barbashev.

Definitely the thread winner, "Who'd of thunked it".

 

[Lakas]

Perron bought it, he's coming back and forming a line with Paajarvi and Barbashev.

Sorcery!

 

[Majorityof1]

Perron bought it, he's coming back and forming a line with Paajarvi and Barbashev.

Maybe it's just me, but it seems a sad commentary on our offseason that the most accurate prediction was one in a long series of jokes. I don't really think bleedblue was serious here. And that makes sense. It was a joke, and our off-season has been a joke. Only Bleedblue's was funny at the time, the off-season, not so much....

 

[SteenMachine]

Maybe it's just me, but it seems a sad commentary on our offseason that the most accurate prediction was one in a long series of jokes. I don't really think bleedblue was serious here. And that makes sense. It was a joke, and our off-season has been a joke. Only Bleedblue's was funny at the time, the off-season, not so much....

I guess Armstrong is more of an Andy Kaufman / Will Ferrell / Ben Stiller type.

 

[Ranksu]

I guess Armstrong is more of an Andy Kaufman / Will Ferrell / Ben Stiller type.

Btw that Army's media conference call was akward.