Devils fan here with a few questions about David Backes. He's a guy I'd be interested in taking a look at in free-agency. I see his numbers are down noticeably this year, is this a sign of decline in the eyes of St. Louis fans, or is it just a down year? Also, is it a team wide thing? I don't get to see a whole lot of Blues games, so any input would be helpful, thanks!
A few things: the team as a whole has been in and out of the injury bug all season, and as a result the team's production has gone down. How that pertains to Backes (who is still #3 on the team in scoring, mind you) is that he hasn't been on the 1st line hardly at all this season, instead grinding it out in a different role on the 2nd and 3rd lines. Our 1PP unit has been abysmal as of late as well, which hasn't helped him either. So (A) he's been on an injury-riddled team, and (B) he's been serving a different role than he has in years past, hence the declining production.
Others I'm sure will note that he just simply hasn't looked the same, and I would agree with that to a degree. Honestly I saw it coming after last season's playoffs. Once Oshie was traded, Backes was all but relegated to a 3rd line role, and that was going to mean decreased production, and more attention on the flaws in his game due to that decreased production (even though he's playing basically the same as he always has; maybe a little slower, maybe a little more desperate).
For a team that wants to pay him Kesler money to be a 1 or 2C for their team, he's going to be a good player for them. But you have to wonder how long he'll keep it up. Players like him might not last as long, but then again look at guys like Hartnell who are still going strong. Foot speed is usually the first thing to go, and Backes was never a speed-demon to begin with. But he's still a great player and a rare breed who is going to deserve every bit of his payday when it comes. I'm just not sure it will come from the Blues.
That's my honest opinion, hope it helps.
