Sunday, former St. Louis Blue and current Anaheim Ducks forward David Backes said that he is considering retiring from the NHL after this season. The Ducks are at the bottom of the West Division and it is unlikely that they will make the playoffs. It seems unfitting that a guy who gave his heart and soul to the Blues for 10 years will likely retire without getting to hoist the Stanley Cup. That begs the question: Should he come back to St. Louis and try one more time? Is that even possible?
Reasons for David Backes to Come Back
The now 36-year old spent 10 seasons as a Blue and five as the captain. The Blues drafted him in the second round, 62ndoverall, in the 2003 NHL Draft. The organization was rebuilding for a lot of that time leading to some terrible regular seasons and early playoff exits. But just before he left, he led the Blues to the Western Conference Final for the first time in 15 years and gave fans hope again. In both the bad and good seasons, Backes really bled blue. He put his body on the line and played his heart out every night.
In 727 games wearing the Blue Note, Backes had 206 goals and 254 assists for 460 points. He had 969 penalty minutes and 2046 hits as well. In the 10 seasons Backes played for St. Louis, the Blues made it to the playoffs six times. In 49 playoff games for the Blues, Backes had 12 goals and 15 assists for 27 points. He added 40 penalty minutes and 206 hits.
While he didn’t help the Blues win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history, he played a pivotal role in shaping a lot of the players that did help the Blues win. That can’t be overlooked.
Even now, after he chose to leave St. Louis to take a bigger contract with the Boston Bruins and then played against the Blues in the Stanley Cup Final, he’s still loved in St. Louis. He’s also seen as a player that deserves to win a Stanley Cup and he certainly has a better chance of doing that with St. Louis than he does with Anaheim. After years spent watching Backes in the Blue Note, it would be both nostalgic and a full-circle moment to see him win it with the Blues.
Reasons for David Backes Not to Come Back
In order for this to even happen, the Blues would have to have enough money to sign him. While they are close to the salary cap right now, there may be more flexibility over the summer depending on what happens in the expansion draft and free agency. As of now, Jaden Schwartz, Tyler Bozak, Mike Hoffman, Vince Dunn, Carl Gunnarsson, Zach Sanford, Ivan Barbashev, Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou and more are set to be free agents after this season. If the Blues lose a guy like Bozak, Backes might be able to crack the lineup.
But if the Blues are able to re-sign most of their free agents and don’t lose a hefty contract in the expansion draft, the Blues may choose to go out and sign a player who can produce more than Backes or give the opportunity to play to one of the young prospects, who could be way more exciting to watch than the veteran forward.
While it may be nostalgic for Blues fans to see Backes back in the Blue Note, the Blues shouldn’t place value in Backes, who has been on the rapid decline since he left St. Louis, over someone who can create more offensive opportunities and play more physically.
In 217 games with Boston over four seasons, he had 39 goals and 55 assists for 94 points. He also had 169 penalty minutes and 524 hits. He’s only played 20 games with Anaheim over the past two seasons and has just three goals and four assists for seven points. He also had 10 penalty minutes and 45 hits.
Back to the Future
It’s clear that the reasons why not outweigh the reasons why Backes should come back to St. Louis, at least as a player. Backes also said Sunday that he still has a passion for hockey and that he would think about staying in the league in some capacity.
So, maybe he won’t retire as a player for the St. Louis Blues but he could certainly come back to the Blues organization in a different role. And with a welcoming committee of former Blues players like Brett Hull, Keith Tkachuk, Al MacInnis, Kelly Chase and Bernie Federko now working for the organization, how could he say no?
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