David Backes hopes to find consistent production for Bruins going forward

Before David Backes was injured in Game 5 against the Lightning, the revamped trio of Jake DeBrusk, Sean Kuraly, and Backes was buzzing when the Bruins were struggling through a sloppy portion of the second period.

Then Backes was hit hard by J.T. Miller, a legal but ferocious hit that sent the veteran forward to the ice. Backes struggled to get up and needed help to the tunnel. He later revealed he had a concussion and likely wouldn’t have played the remainder of the second-round series had the Bruins forced Game 6.

The fact that his season ended that way left Backes with an incomplete feeling in the gut of his stomach. He struggled mightily in Game 3 and was demoted to the fourth line in Game 4. He responded well, signaled by his bump back up to the third line.

“I wish there was more I could’ve done to help my team win,” Backes said. “Unfinished business in the series maybe. Game 1 was a high point and four straight after that is not ideal.”

When Backes signed a five-year, $30 million deal two years ago, the 34-year-old knew he was turning the corner on a different point in his career. He was no longer going to be tasked with carrying the team like he did for the Blues, but at the price tag, he was expected to be a steady contributor. The demotion to the fourth-line was a bitter dose of reality. Backes took the role and played it well, the sign of a seasoned veteran who understood his place with the team in that situation.

Yet he knows that’s not where he wants to be for the remaining three years he has left on his deal with the Bruins, and that organization expects more from him going forward. The question now is: how can he find that consistent effort that makes it worth it for the Bruins?



Backes best fit with the Bruins is as their third-line right wing. His first season didn’t work out great on the second line with David Krejci and a myriad of left wingers throughout the season. Bruce Cassidy seemed to find the right fit this season with the third line of Backes, Danton Heinen, Riley Nash, which played 40 games together.

Their 56.54 Corsi-For Percentage was second on the team amongst lines that played at least 15 games together, trailing only the Bruins megaline of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and David Pastrnak.

Nash is likely not going to be back as an unrestricted free agent. His breakout year all but ensured he’ll be able to command a price in the open market the Bruins are unwilling to play.

The Bruins will have options for third-line centers. Kuraly is one of them. So is Ryan Donato, who played exclusively as a left wing when he joined the team from Harvard but is a natural center. Prospects Austin Czarnik, Jakob Forsbacka Carlsson, Jack Studnick, and Trent Frederic will all be pushing in training camp. Heinen, who had a strong rookie season but struggled with consistency, could very well be back as the third line left wing.

Considering the youth that could potentially fill out that line, there’s value in what Backes brings to this team both on and off the ice.

“I think in two years in I’ve settled into a decent role with the leadership and how I’m going to support Bergy and Zee,” Backes said. “On the ice, [my role is] third-line right wing, second-line right wing. Second power-play. Being able to be a swiss army knife if other positions need to be filed from the first line down to the fourth line. There’s a progression for everyone and the more consistency we had, especially with Danton, Reilly and I, is probably some of the best hockey I played as a Bruin.

“Why that doesn’t sustain all year and in the playoffs, it’ll be something we investigate a little bit but it’s a good three-man line that worked their butt off and created turnovers and can keep teams top lines off the score sheet and provide a little offense and keep them on their heels that way. Those are all good attributes to have as a line. It’s something we embraced and we’ll have to cultivate more of that.”

It was a rough year for Backes. He was producing at a far better clip and finished with 33 points in 57 games, just five less than he had in his first season with the Bruins in 17 less games. He missed three weeks earlier in the season when he had part of his colon removed. He cut his knee toward the end of the season and needed several stitches. Then came the final blow, the concussion from the Game 5 hit against the Lightning.

Backes acknowledged that his history of concussions – he admitted to having more than one when he played with St. Louis – is something he’ll think about. “Yeah, all those conversations, thoughts, go through your brain. Have little kids, have a wife, have a lot of life to live after you play this game,” he said.

Yet he still takes an immense pride in his role as the team’s do-it-all forward. He can still play center in a pinch when needed. He was promoted to the top line briefly when Bergeron was out with a foot injury. He’s a good teammate, too, a characteristic that’s hard to quantify but evidenced by the sacrifices he’s made for the team.

"It’s a big reason why we went out and got him and to what he was going to offload at times from other players on our hockey club that we all speak about from a core standpoint and the impact they make from a leadership standpoint," general manager Don Sweeney said. "It’s a lot to lump on players individually to carry that burden, and I think David’s done a really good job of coming in and helping in that regard and spreading it around. From a pure production standpoint, a little bit is determined where he plays in the lineup."

Backes still feels like he can be a big difference maker at this stage of his career. He acknowledged 20 goals and 20 assists is something he truly believes he’s still capable of achieving. He also acknowledged that if he scores half that, and the Bruins win a Stanley Cup, it’s all worth it.

After the way the season ended, he’ll have to prove it going forward to make the partnership one that’s worth the heavy price tag going forward.