Backes had 21 goals and 24 assists during the 2015-16 season.
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In total, the Minnesota-born Backes has tallied 206 goals and 460 points in 727 National Hockey League games, and has been a 20-goal scorer in the last four full 82-game seasons (his career high came with 31 goals in 2008-09 and 2010-11).
Ladd agreed to a seven-year contract, and Chimera comes to NY on a two-year, $4.5 million deal. How’s that work?’ That wasn’t a thought that they didn’t have, but they know they have guys who can take (faceoffs) on both sides with Bergy and his ability to dominate them on both sides. “We view him as certainly a player that can play in the top nine”. If he believes that he has plenty of hockey left in him and wanted to finish his career as a Blue, why not take the offer and then earn another?
Such is the case with David Backes and the St. Louis Blues. But I imagine we’re going to share a lot of responsibility and not burden one guy with all of the hard ice or the heavy lifting, when we have responsible guys that can share those roles. Backes, who was once among the Blues’ biggest scoring threats, collecting a career-high 31 goals in 2010-11, has become more of a defensive specialist and secondary offensive contributor in recent years.
“We’ve talked mostly about me being a center iceman through the process”, said Backes.
Backes also left the door wide open to potentially fill in at the right wing spot alongside Bergeron and Brad Marchand if the team needs him there, so, perhaps there is a way all of these talented forwards can co-exist together. The Blues now have to find a new captain, on top of finding a forward capable of playing top-6 minutes. “We have Paajarvi as a restricted free agent and Ty Rattie”.
According to Fluto Shinzawa of The Boston Globe, the $30 million contract, at an average $6 million per year, will keep Backes in Boston for 5 years, which means he will be 37 at the end of his 5th year.
Allen, who had one year remaining on his contract, signed a four-year extension with the Blues worth $17.4 million on Friday.
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Allen’s backup will be 30-year-old Carter Hutton, who had been stuck behind All-Star Pekka Rinne in Nashville.
