Player Discussion David Backes IV

[Mainehockey33]

I ragged on him and wanted him on the 4th line. He played well last night and this is where he belongs. he made Kuraly and Wagner play a little harder by example. He has chemistry with Kuraly and if he gets him going that is good. Wagner was a little more engaged, hope Backes can keep it up for the year. People being slotted in the correct spots regardless of salary or past performances are going make them better.

He was good on the 4th line but I don’t know what he was doing on the 2nd PP unit.

 

[GoBs]

I am really pulling for Backes every night but at this point if he is a 4th liner I would rather Accari in there.

 

[RussellmaniaKW]

I am really pulling for Backes every night but at this point if he is a 4th liner I would rather Accari in there.

funny, I thought that line with Backes looked good for the first time in weeks.

 

[neelynugs]

funny, I thought that line with Backes looked good for the first time in weeks.

backes and kuraly play well together - that's been true since the ottawa series. ideally they add a strong #3 center and
bounce backes to 4RW.

 

[dredeye]

He's a brutally expensive 4th liner. Always disliked that deal

 

[BruinsNetwork]

He's a brutally expensive 4th liner. Always disliked that deal

The money isn’t being used at the moment so it’s not like his salary is hurting the team— they have space to use if they choose.

The fourth-line looks much better with him on it right now, in my opinion. While it isn’t ideal to have someone making 6m per-year on the fourth-line, he still makes it better at the moment. If his salary isn’t hurting the team right now and they’re manuevering just fine, what’s the issue?

 

[JRull86]

I am really pulling for Backes every night but at this point if he is a 4th liner I would rather Accari in there.

Wholeheartedly disgaree with this. Accari is a JAG

 

[Chief Nine]

So this will be the 3rd 5 on 3. They better score here

 

[Chief Nine]

There we go

 

[Blowfish]

Backes looking good past 2 games.

 

[Dr Hook]

Backes looking good past 2 games.

Do you really think so? To be honest, I haven't noticed much of him. He hasn't been awful, but is just a non-factor. Had a couple of shots on a PP tonight that were decent enough I guess, but he isn't really doing much of anything from what I can see. What are you seeing about his game that you think is looking good?

And I want to be hopeful that he is coming around to being a solid contributor that has an impact on games . . .

 

[BMC]

I admire the way Backes has accepted his demotion to the fourth line- without complaint and playing as hard as ever.

He is a true professional.

 

[Fenian24]

I admire the way Backes has accepted his demotion to the fourth line- without complaint and playing as hard as ever.

He is a true professional.

Yup, it's called leadership. Would I like the David Backes of 5 years ago? Of course, but we have the Backes of today. He looked good yesterday, plays well with Kuraly and is making the 4th line useful, something it hasn't been all year.

 

[GoBs]

I am really pulling for Backes every night but at this point if he is a 4th liner I would rather Accari in there.

Replying to my past post. Best game for Backes last night against the Knights.
Happy to see him finding his spot

 

[Dr Hook]

Fluto with his take on Backes in the Athletic:

No good solution to Bruins' David Backes problem. But on...

On Dec. 14, 2017, Matt Beleskey was placed on waivers. Two months later, Beleskey was traded.

Neither scenario is in David Backes’s future
.
The no-movement clause tucked within Backes’ contract is good through the conclusion of this season. The Bruins, therefore, can hardly move Backes to a different seat on their charter, to say nothing of Providence, without his blessing.

So even though the AHL might be the best place for Backes to take his 11-game scoreless streak, the fourth line is the veteran’s current destination. It may not be a bad place to land.
Backes remains parked on 0-0—0 following Saturday’s 5-1 win over Toronto. He played 13:41, more than the career-low 13:08 he had been averaging over his first 10 games. But if Backes and linemates Chris Wagner and Sean Kuraly thump as they did against the Maple Leafs, their assaults will lead to goals — and perhaps the right wing’s first point.

“I’m sure with the guys whose numbers aren’t where they are — he falls into that category — probably squeeze their stick a little tight and overthink it,” Bruce Cassidy said before the win. “So maybe this type of line will just be a little more, ‘Hey, give us energy, pin the other team in their end, frustrate them.’ And maybe pucks find him on this line as opposed to the other one. That’s our hope.”

 

[dredeye]

The money isn’t being used at the moment so it’s not like his salary is hurting the team— they have space to use if they choose.

The fourth-line looks much better with him on it right now, in my opinion. While it isn’t ideal to have someone making 6m per-year on the fourth-line, he still makes it better at the moment. If his salary isn’t hurting the team right now and they’re manuevering just fine, what’s the issue?

How do you know it isn’t hurting the team. Cap space is one of the most valuable things in the nhl. We very much could use secondary scoring and his contract could be hindering our ability to bring someone in that has a higher annual salary. Maybe it hurt our ability in the off season to sign someone. It could do the same this coming off season. That space may never be needed but I don’t need a 6 million dollar spark for the 4th line.

 

[Fopppa]

How do you know it isn’t hurting the team. Cap space is one of the most valuable things in the nhl. We very much could use secondary scoring and his contract could be hindering our ability to bring someone in that has a higher annual salary. Maybe it hurt our ability in the off season to sign someone. It could do the same this coming off season. That space may never be needed but I don’t need a 6 million dollar spark for the 4th line.

But the thing is that right now his cap hit isn't hurting the team. They have cap space right now to add without subtracting. In the offseason it's another matter. McAvoy, Carlo, Heinen need to be re-upped and Backes' NMC apparently expires so something will have to give at that point. But right now it's not a huge issue unless you're planning on adding a $10 million contract.

I get that the optics of a $6 million contract on the fourth line is bad, but it is what it is at this point in time.

 

[smithformeragent]

Shades of Marty LaPointe.

 

[smithformeragent]

But the thing is that right now his cap hit isn't hurting the team. They have cap space right now to add without subtracting. In the offseason it's another matter. McAvoy, Carlo, Heinen need to be re-upped and Backes' NMC apparently expires so something will have to give at that point. But right now it's not a huge issue unless you're planning on adding a $10 million contract.

I get that the optics of a $6 million contract on the fourth line is bad, but it is what it is at this point in time.

 

[Over the volcano]

Shades of Marty LaPointe.

LaPoint wasn’t repeatedly concussed and didn’t lose a foot of his intestines - but he was a great mentor for Bergeron when he broke into the league so maybe you have a point.

 

[neelynugs]

the only hope is to deal him after july 1 when that bonus is paid out. gotta find a team in need of a big cap hit
and "veteran presence". his agent did a great job of buyout-proofing the contract - there's basically no benefit
to doing it at any point.

 

[UncleRico]

The money isn’t being used at the moment so it’s not like his salary is hurting the team— they have space to use if they choose.

The fourth-line looks much better with him on it right now, in my opinion. While it isn’t ideal to have someone making 6m per-year on the fourth-line, he still makes it better at the moment. If his salary isn’t hurting the team right now and they’re manuevering just fine, what’s the issue?

The money isn’t being used right now? I would bet a lot of money that our previous off season would have looked much different if we had that added $6m in cap space.

 

[ap3lovr]

I still have hope that he gets his thinking back. His skating is still the same. He is just thinking the game too slow right now. I suspect he is still experiencing effects of the concussion.

 

[Tbrady12]

The money isn’t being used right now? I would bet a lot of money that our previous off season would have looked much different if we had that added $6m in cap space.

The number is what it is, it's more important where he fits to the benefit of the team.

The 4th line is now playing more than the 3rd line, so in essence Backes is still getting 3rd line minutes. But, if you look at the bottom 6 cost, Heinen, JFK and Bjork are all on entry level contracts, on average 900K each. Wagner and Kuraly are in at about 1.25 and Backes 6. That comes out to 5.6 mil per line for the bottom 6. That's a good price, when Acciari is in at 700K they're even cheaper as a group.

 

[LSCII]

His money is a sunk cost now. Just ride it out and move him in a salary dump in the off season to a team that needs to get to the cap floor, if possible. Otherwise, just eat it and move on. It's not like he's incapable of playing on the bottom line. He can still play out the string down there, despite it not being why he was brought in.