We’re officially at the point of the offseason where I have run out of factual content and have to get creative (not my strong suit). I have player profiles planned for every player that pulled on the Bruins sweater last season, but the plan for those is to post one a day leading up to the start of training camp. There are more days left until camp opens than there are players to write about, so I need other content to post in the meantime. I decided to start by writing a few trade scenarios on some players who could be moved soon as the Bruins need to make a trade in order to sign McAvoy and Carlo. Here’s the first one on David Backes!
Before I get into it too much, here’s a short write-up of all his stats. Backes appeared in 70 games for the Bruins last season, in which he tallied seven goals and 13 assists. He then played in 15 playoff games for the team, through which he recorded two goals and three assists. Drafted in the second round (62nd overall) of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft by the St. Louis Blues, Backes has appeared in 928 career NHL games, over which he has produced 244 goals and 307 assists. The 35-year-old wing and center has only played for the Blues and Bruins over his 13 season NHL career.
Now for the fun part, the speculation and my thoughts! Backes is the name that comes up the most among Bruins fans when you ask who they want to trade or get rid of in some fashion. He has declined to the point of being no more than a capable fourth liner, yet he is on a huge contract that sees him counting $6 million against the cap for each of the next two seasons. While this would make him the most helpful person to be traded, it’s also what makes him the least likely one. His contract is nearly impossible to move, and it will require the Bruins to give up a significant amount in order to get rid of it. And it gets better from there. Backes has a no-trade clause for the next two years, which sees him submit an eight team list that he will accept a trade to. If the Bruins try to trade him anywhere else, they must convince him to waive it. It is safe to say that any team with the cap space to take on his contract and that would be willing to would not be on that list and that he would have to agree to waive his NTC. I would not blame him for not doing it especially if it meant he would go somewhere like Ottawa. So, it puts Sweeney in a tough spot and means it is highly unlikely we see a trade involving Backes. But, I decided to explore the option anyways because a girl can dream.
The closest comparable trade to the one the Bruins would be looking at with Backes is that of Patrick Marleau. Marleau was traded from the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Carolina Hurricanes along with the Leafs’ 2020 seventh and conditional first round picks in exchange for Carolina’s 2020 sixth round pick. It was a lot to give up for the Leafs just to shed Marleau’s $6.25 million salary, and the Bruins are looking at least that, if not more to get rid of Backes. Marleau is still a capable third-liner, as he produced 16 goals and 21 assists in 82 games last season, which is much better than what Backes managed. Marleau also had just one year remaining on his deal while Backes has two, and it’s a lot easier for a team to stomach taking on a salary like that (and in Carolina and Marleau’s case buying it out) for one year instead of two. The Leafs and Bruins are in similar situations in that other teams know they must shed salary, meaning that potential trade partners of the Bruins will weaponize their cap space to maximize their return like they did to the Leafs. So, the Bruins would likely have to add in at least one more first, maybe second round pick or a good prospect in order to move him. The Bruins have a surplus of strong defensive prospects that could be included, particularly on the left side, but I don’t think I’m alone in saying it’d really hurt to give one of them up just to bury Backes’ contract.
As nice as it would be to see Backes’ salary gone, I would rather not have to give up an exorbitant amount to do so. Unless Sweeney can by some miracle trick another GM into taking for him for at most what the Leafs gave up for Marleau (and preferably less but any more than that and it would just be too much), I think we see Backes return for next season. Whether that be in Providence or in Boston, it is by far the most likely scenario. Burying him in Providence would save the team around $1 million, which isn’t much but it’s still an option to save a bit of cap space if the team gets desperate. I truly feel bad for Backes, as he gets a lot of hate and I like him because he’s a great person and leader on and off the ice, but his contract is egregious. There’s no denying it. I don’t blame him for taking the money, as why wouldn’t you if someone is stupid enough to offer it, but it really hurts the team now. However, what’s done is done, and unfortunately, Boston is in a big cap crunch and no matter what they must find a way to clear space or they will lose at least one of Carlo or McAvoy. There’s just no way both sign for under $7.3 million combined.
Hockey Addict 