Player Discussion David Backes IV

[Mick Riddleton]

If Stempniak is the answer why have not any of the 31 teams in the NHL signed him to a deal.

We gave him a shot and he looked better then Backes and so did Winnik. Sweeney said he is still in the picture if things get to that point. I would take any of those guy over what we are getting from Backes at 6 million. Heck I would rather have Eriksson back. Backes does not deserve to be in the lineup the way he has regressed.

 

[Mount Kramer Cameras]

This might sound a little crazy considering his recent form, but with Bergeron out for a while I'd consider giving Backes a game or two between Pastrnak and Marchand to see what he can still do.

That 12 point game they had against Columbus at the start of 16-17 is still lingering in the memory.

A lot has changed since then of course. Maybe this opportunity jolts him back to life.

 

[World of Wardlow]

No, I still see him as the 3rd/4th line RW. Should JFK and Cave play miserably, then I can see Backes centering the second line: Marchand-Backes-Debrusk

 

[DominicT]

He won't be going down without his bonus due next year. Not sure if being on IR impacts the bonus. My guess is it does (pro-rated payment).

Signing bonuses are guaranteed, no matter the circumstances

 

[AngryMilkcrates]

I'd like to take a bit of a time-out here to offer a change in perspective:

David Backes is a possible HoF candidate.
He has been a top player and center since breaking into the Blue organization pretty young. He is tenacious, hard to play against, and has been consistently productive. As well as a proven and well-respected leader by his teammates on and off the ice. He is always highly involved with charities wherever he is and has been a positive force in the community. He has been a prototypical Bruins player his entire career and at the end wanted to play for Boston, leaving his long-time home. He brings a lot to the table, but as it always happens father time comes a'knocking. He has faced multiple concussion issues and diverticulitis since being here, losing a large chunk of his colon. He has a lot to overcome but is facing it with courage and a smile. He may not be the player everyone wants right now. But he is deserving of respect.

So, please. When you want to bash him with phrases like "He sucks", "He's useless", "He should just retire for everyone else's sake". Please reconsider and have a care. This is a good man we are talking about and such base opinions seem ignorant and childish. They make you look bad, not David.

Boston wooed Backes out of St. Louis. If they dump him or give him the Hayes treatment what will that say to every other FA in the NHL that would consider Boston in the future? How would it look for David Backes to get a HoF nomination with everyone knowing Boston ruined the end of a great players career?

If Bourque had not won his cup with Colorado and his health petered off, faced concussions, surgeries, whatever. Then they go and quietly cut him from the line-up when he could still have won a cup, how would we feel today about the organization? Probably would have a long-standing vendetta against them.

 

[Chief Nine]

I'd like to take a bit of a time-out here to offer a change in perspective:

David Backes is a possible HoF candidate.
He has been a top player and center since breaking into the Blue organization pretty young. He is tenacious, hard to play against, and has been consistently productive. As well as a proven and well-respected leader by his teammates on and off the ice he. He is always highly involved with charities wherever he is and has been a positive force in the community. He has been a prototypical Bruins player his entire career and at the end wanted to play for Boston, leaving his long-time home. He brings a lot to the table, but as it always happens father time comes a'knocking. He has faced multiple concussion issues and diverticulitis since being here, losing a large chunk of his colon. He has a lot to overcome but is facing it with courage and a smile. He may not be the player everyone wants right now. But he is deserving of respect.

So, please. When you want to bash him with phrases like "He sucks", "He's useless", "He should just retire for everyone else's sake". Please reconsider and have a care. This is a good man we are talking about and such base opinions seem ignorant and childish. They make you look bad, not David.

Boston wooed Backes out of St. Louis. If they dump him or give him the Hayes treatment what will that say to every other FA in the NHL that would consider Boston in the future? How would it look for David Backes to get a HoF nomination with everyone knowing Boston ruined the end of a great players career?

If Bourque had not won his cup with Colorado and his health petered off, faced concussions, surgeries, whatever. Then they go and quietly cut him from the line-up when he could still have won a cup, how would we feel today about the organization? Probably would have a long-standing vendetta against them.

I can't agree with this more. Well said.

 

[Dr Hook]

Boston wooed Backes out of St. Louis.

All in all a great post except that Backes wanted to re-sign in St. Louis but the Blues didn't want to give him the term he was asking for. He signed with Boston instead, he wasn't wooed. It isn't as though he chose Boston because he loved it. It is because we put the best offer on the table.

A couple of sources (there are more)

David Backes pens emotional farewell to St. Louis after signing with Bruins

The Blues can't afford to re-sign David Backes

 

[AngryMilkcrates]

It isn't as though he chose Boston because he loved it. It is because we put the best offer on the table.

“Just the ideology those players have. They’re all-in. That mentality,” said Backes on TSN on Friday, after signing a five-year, $30-million deal. “It was a fit on all accords.”

If all he wanted was money and term he could have gotten a deal from Arizona or Carolina. If he wanted a better chance at a cup he could have gone to Nashville. ALl teams rumored to be in the mix to sign him. Any team looking for veteran leadership, toughness, and a scoring center pedigree would have been in on Backes.

So, Yes, I stand by what I said. David, in the end, chose Boston.

 

[LouJersey]

All in all a great post except that Backes wanted to re-sign in St. Louis but the Blues didn't want to give him the term he was asking for. He signed with Boston instead, he wasn't wooed. It isn't as though he chose Boston because he loved it. It is because we put the best offer on the table.

A couple of sources (there are more)

David Backes pens emotional farewell to St. Louis after signing with Bruins

The Blues can't afford to re-sign David Backes

Correct. Blues went 4/24. Bruins should have never gone past 4, but maybe offered more money overall. It was a two team race for him.

Backes turned down the three year/15 million-ish extension in training camp last summer so he isn’t taking that deal

That's the amazing part. How the **** did he get 15 more million and two more years only one summer later? he finally had a good play-offs so I'm guessing that broke the bank for him

 

[bp13]

I'd like to take a bit of a time-out here to offer a change in perspective:

David Backes is a possible HoF candidate.
He has been a top player and center since breaking into the Blue organization pretty young. He is tenacious, hard to play against, and has been consistently productive. As well as a proven and well-respected leader by his teammates on and off the ice. He is always highly involved with charities wherever he is and has been a positive force in the community. He has been a prototypical Bruins player his entire career and at the end wanted to play for Boston, leaving his long-time home. He brings a lot to the table, but as it always happens father time comes a'knocking. He has faced multiple concussion issues and diverticulitis since being here, losing a large chunk of his colon. He has a lot to overcome but is facing it with courage and a smile. He may not be the player everyone wants right now. But he is deserving of respect.

So, please. When you want to bash him with phrases like "He sucks", "He's useless", "He should just retire for everyone else's sake". Please reconsider and have a care. This is a good man we are talking about and such base opinions seem ignorant and childish. They make you look bad, not David.

Boston wooed Backes out of St. Louis. If they dump him or give him the Hayes treatment what will that say to every other FA in the NHL that would consider Boston in the future? How would it look for David Backes to get a HoF nomination with everyone knowing Boston ruined the end of a great players career?

If Bourque had not won his cup with Colorado and his health petered off, faced concussions, surgeries, whatever. Then they go and quietly cut him from the line-up when he could still have won a cup, how would we feel today about the organization? Probably would have a long-standing vendetta against them.

I like the spirit of this post. He has had a great career and by all accounts is a model teammate and citizen. He certainly deserves a lot more than “he sucks” or “he’s useless” from fans.

Now all that said, I don’t think we can or should hide from the fact he’s no longer up to the pace of the league. Perhaps you give a bit more time to see if he can find the fountain of youth with all the injuries we have, but he does not look like a guy who can help beyond 4th line duty. And I don’t think there’s any reason why Boston should or would hold onto him or play him out of “respect” or fear for impresssions around the league. It’s a business, and if they consider themselves competitive this season, they need to ice their best lineup every night.

 

[Dr Hook]

“Just the ideology those players have. They’re all-in. That mentality,” said Backes on TSN on Friday, after signing a five-year, $30-million deal. “It was a fit on all accords.”

If all he wanted was money and term he could have gotten a deal from Arizona or Carolina. If he wanted a better chance at a cup he could have gone to Nashville. ALl teams rumored to be in the mix to sign him. Any team looking for veteran leadership, toughness, and a scoring center pedigree would have been in on Backes.

So, Yes, I stand by what I said. David, in the end, chose Boston.

By offer, it wasn't just money. But the fact remains that he wanted to stay in St. Louis and they wouldn't pony up. It is what it is. It doesn't diminish Backes in the least, but we also shouldn't frame it as though Boston was his first choice and that somehow we owe him better for it. Anyway, I am not disagreeing with your main idea that he doesn't deserve the ragging he gets from some quarters.

 

[mar2kbos]

He is cooked and done, but he did have a great career in St Louis and always wanted that version of the player on the Bruins. Unfortunately we didn’t get that player. Sort of like Paul Coffey at the end it shouldn’t dimish what he accomplished but sometimes it’s just time to hang them up.

 

[smack66]

I'd like to take a bit of a time-out here to offer a change in perspective:

David Backes is a possible HoF candidate.
He has been a top player and center since breaking into the Blue organization pretty young. He is tenacious, hard to play against, and has been consistently productive. As well as a proven and well-respected leader by his teammates on and off the ice. He is always highly involved with charities wherever he is and has been a positive force in the community. He has been a prototypical Bruins player his entire career and at the end wanted to play for Boston, leaving his long-time home. He brings a lot to the table, but as it always happens father time comes a'knocking. He has faced multiple concussion issues and diverticulitis since being here, losing a large chunk of his colon. He has a lot to overcome but is facing it with courage and a smile. He may not be the player everyone wants right now. But he is deserving of respect.

So, please. When you want to bash him with phrases like "He sucks", "He's useless", "He should just retire for everyone else's sake". Please reconsider and have a care. This is a good man we are talking about and such base opinions seem ignorant and childish. They make you look bad, not David.

Boston wooed Backes out of St. Louis. If they dump him or give him the Hayes treatment what will that say to every other FA in the NHL that would consider Boston in the future? How would it look for David Backes to get a HoF nomination with everyone knowing Boston ruined the end of a great players career?

If Bourque had not won his cup with Colorado and his health petered off, faced concussions, surgeries, whatever. Then they go and quietly cut him from the line-up when he could still have won a cup, how would we feel today about the organization? Probably would have a long-standing vendetta against them.

I don't think its necessarily bashing Backes it's people giving an honest opinion of the players performance on the ice and not the man himself.

a few points, I struggle with your opening statement that Backes is a possible HoF candidate. I haven't looked but I bet you I could quickly come up with at least a dozen players who've done more in their career then Backes who are not in the HoF. He doesn't have the points nor the hardware to get into the HoF. That's not a bashing of his career, he's had a tremendous career but nowhere near HoF to me. I struggle with the term leadership he brings to the team, What exactly does this mean or how is it measured? Many players are involved with charities, again, I commend him for his efforts but I hate P.K Subban and he does a lot, so I'm not sure what this means for me a fan of the on ice Boston Bruins. As for him coming to Boston, lets be honest, he came for the money, he chased the cash and left the team the was good to him for the money. I have no problem with that, I think players have a very short career and should take the money while they can, but lets not pretend he came to Boston for humanitarian reasons. We offered the most cash and term and he took it. I agree with you that people should not bash him, but I do think people are entitled to critique his body of work which in my opinion has been nothing short of terrible this year and I don't feel if this team was truly running on system of meritocracy he would have sat a few games this year and has absolutely no place being on the 2nd PP unit.

 

[TheReal13Linseman]

Can't we all just stipulate that, OF COURSE, we're not commenting on these players as men/individuals/family men/humanitarians, etc., personally, but rather, on how good/bad they are currently performing in their roles as highly compensated professional athletes?

 

[AngryMilkcrates]

Can't we all just stipulate that, OF COURSE, we're not commenting on these players as men/individuals/family men/humanitarians, etc., personally, but rather, on how good/bad they are currently performing in their roles as highly compensated professional athletes?

If it was obvious from peoples posts I would have not felt the reason to differentiate.

 

[Coach Parker]

He is in the same grouping for me as Iginla; I have infinite respect for him as a player, leader and person. I also continually want him to return to form. I also wouldn't be surprised to see him given a shot here in the top six before returning to the bottom 6 in the spring.

There's a reason why the Bruins continue to win in the regular season and produce quality NHL players. It's the same reason why the Oilers continually fail to achieve at any level; the leadership and team philosophy embedded in the culture of the Boston Bruins.

Backes supports and adds to that. Chara and Bergeron lead the way with Krug and Marchand also stepping up. These guys wear letters and are praised amongst NHL players across the league for a reason.

Sure, the Bruins could load up on high prospects or fill the roster with young talent but history shows that without a quality leadership core (just wait until we see the post-Chara/Bergeron era) this team would be a joke.

With any luck, DeBrusk, McAvoy and company are soaking up every moment of this HoF leadership core and their way of approaching the game.

That currently HoF leadership core includes David Backes and those intangibles that we don't see on the ice are present behind the scenes and in the development of these future Bruins leaders.

 

[smithformeragent]

When you’re done, you’re done and he appears to be done. This looks like a bad deal and many called it from the very get go.

It’s nothing personal. You can respect the player and the person. You can appreciate what he brings off the ice, but at the end of the day it’s a results oriented business and he simply is not producing.

It’s not good.

They all eventually reach the point where they’re done. For every Mark Recchi and Ray Bourque, there’s a Glen Murray or an Alex Zhamnov.

To quote the movie Pulp Fiction, “Boxers dont have an old timers day.”.

 

[ON3M4N]

Man I really hate to see Backes not playing well. I was so excited when we signed him and he was a guy I even thought we should target as a perfect fit.

If things dont turn around by the TDL could Boston move Backes with a handshake agreement from the other team that they'd buy him out in the off-season? Could something like that make Backes more willing to waive his NMC? Would a team be interested in something like that?

 

[smack66]

He is in the same grouping for me as Iginla; I have infinite respect for him as a player, leader and person. I also continually want him to return to form. I also wouldn't be surprised to see him given a shot here in the top six before returning to the bottom 6 in the spring.

There's a reason why the Bruins continue to win in the regular season and produce quality NHL players. It's the same reason why the Oilers continually fail to achieve at any level; the leadership and team philosophy embedded in the culture of the Boston Bruins.

Backes supports and adds to that. Chara and Bergeron lead the way with Krug and Marchand also stepping up. These guys wear letters and are praised amongst NHL players across the league for a reason.

Sure, the Bruins could load up on high prospects or fill the roster with young talent but history shows that without a quality leadership core (just wait until we see the post-Chara/Bergeron era) this team would be a joke.

With any luck, DeBrusk, McAvoy and company are soaking up every moment of this HoF leadership core and their way of approaching the game.

That currently HoF leadership core includes David Backes and those intangibles that we don't see on the ice are present behind the scenes and in the development of these future Bruins leaders.

I agree with you on leadership being important but ask myself. Why would the Bruins rid themselves of Adam McQuaid who, in my opinion was at a minimum an equal player, leader and person to David Backes? In my opinion, it was a pure business decision, and the only reason Backes is still here is because from a business perspective he is untradeable at the moment. We can wax eloquently about what a great human he is but I'll be honest, I cheer for the team. I miss Quaider and all the leadership skills he brought to this team and everything he did but he's gone and that's the business decision that needed to be made. Praising Backes for his leadership, in my opinion is a veiled attempt to disregard his actual on ice performance which has been far below acceptable.
Will we miss the leadership of Bergeron and Chara? absolutely but we will miss their on ice performance.

Winning builds character.

 

[DKH]

He is cooked and done, but he did have a great career in St Louis and always wanted that version of the player on the Bruins. Unfortunately we didn’t get that player. Sort of like Paul Coffey at the end it shouldn’t dimish what he accomplished but sometimes it’s just time to hang them up.

Still amazing to me we had
Jacques Plante
Jim Schoenfeld
Guy lapointe
Paul Coffey
Brian Leetch

All just toast but stars in their prime

 

[Dr Hook]

Still amazing to me we had
Jacques Plante
Jim Schoenfeld
Guy lapointe
Paul Coffey
Brian Leetch

All just toast but stars in their prime

Some of those could only play here because they deteriorated to the point where they were cheap enough for Harry to sign

 

[DKH]

I thought that fourth line was very good

They were a nuisance all night and because they are all defensive based players they should be able to go against top 6

I can’t remember the last game I watched looking forward to the 4th line shifts - Wagner was so good

 

[BigBadBruin]

I thought that fourth line was very good

They were a nuisance all night and because they are all defensive based players they should be able to go against top 6

I can’t remember the last game I watched looking forward to the 4th line shifts - Wagner was so good

Agree, and I think Cassidy agreed too based on ice time. Backes was skating better last night, getting better over the last few games.

 

[The don godfather]

If we bought him out what would be the negative repercussions on the cap?

 

[DKH]

Agree, and I think Cassidy agreed too based on ice time. Backes was skating better last night, getting better over the last few games.

I’d just leave him there at this point

Skate, get pucks in deep, put pressure on D, go to the net and play responsible D

Simple - 12 minutes

Ironically the best game I’ve seen Kuraly ever play (Ottawa overtime game he scored winner) and Wagner (last night) Backes was winger on both