DK I'm not one for fully appreciating contracts term etc...however both players are top tier...wouldn't they be asking form more than 5 and 3.5? Why there's a hold out?
The Backes thing is surprising. Hoping the recent announcement is false. Still find it odd nothing has been promoted by the bruins. Backes was the golden child for marketing / communications come opening season.
I don't think its surprising at all Backes has always wanted to play hockey and come back ASAP from concussions. Why reverse course now.
He couldn't care less about the Bruins cap situation or he'd have retired having collected most of that contract. His agent went public with this so that we can't give him the Savard treatment without there being some ramifications. Guess its a good thing we didn't sign any big UFAs.
And chances are hes used his NTC to block any trades and given us a list of teams that couldn't possibly take him (putting the likes of SJ, Toronto, Tampa, Vegas etc who are at the cap.) With a buyout proof contract he can play this hand all he wants.
Moore is starting the year on LTIR so there is room for the 2 unsigned D men but we might 'have' to send him to Providence to fit the 2nd. Hard to tell what his reaction will be but I assume hes prepared for 2 years of bus rides.