A man without a line, David Backes tabbed as a healthy scratch for 1st time in 12 years

The writing might have been on the wall, but that wasn’t going to make the decision any easier for Bruce Cassidy on Wednesday morning.

With Peter Cehlarik’s promotion from Providence and subsequent appointment as Boston’s latest top-six stopgap, something had to give in the Bruins’ forward corps — with David Backes set to be the odd man out for the B’s road matchup against the Flyers.

For as much as 34-year-old forward is lauded in the locker room, the production simply hasn’t been there for Backes — who’s in the third year of a five-year deal with Boston that will pay him $6 million per season.

On pace for 23 points this season — his lowest point total since notching 23 points over 49 games as a rookie back in 2006 — Backes has struggled to gain traction this season, tallying four goals and 12 points over 38 games.

Mired in a slump that saw him tally just one point (an assist) over the first 17 games of the season, Backes has once again found himself struggling to light the lamp for the last month — scoring just one goal in his last 14 outings.

While Cassidy noted there’s a chance that Backes could return to the lineup on Thursday against the Blues — a team that Backes captained for four seasons — it didn’t make Wednesday’s call easier to bear.

“Worst thing as a coach, I’ve always found, is telling players they’re not in the lineup,” Cassidy said. "This one is one of the more difficult ones. He’s a guy that’s been a captain in the National Hockey League and a real good soldier, good player for a long time in this league.

"Honesty, I believe, is still the best policy. We usually judge our lineup on performance first than other factors — how does the chemistry work? In this particular case, we’re looking for a player to go up on that second line and find some consistency, so we’re giving another player a chance.”

For as much as Backes’ production has dropped, he’s also fallen victim to circumstance in some regards — with a vacancy for a physical, North-South winger few and far between in this Bruins' lineup.



When looking at Backes’ best fit among Boston’s forward lines, a spot alongside players like Sean Kuraly, Chris Wagner and Noel Acciari seems like a logical fit, even if rolling out a $6 million AAV player on a checking line might be a tough pill to swallow.

Still, Backes was arguably at his best earlier this season when slotted on a line with Kuraly and Wagner, with that trio generating an impressive 60.34 Corsi For Percentage and a plus-24 shot differential over 90 minutes of 5v5 ice time together.

That line fared much better than some of the other groups that Backes has logged time with. The next duo that Backes has skated the most with this season — Colby Cave and Joakim Nordstrom — generated a brutal 41.18 Corsi For Percentage over 59 minutes of ice time.

Backes’ latest assignment — bumped up to a top-six role with Krejci and Jake DeBrusk — was also underwhelming. In 45 minutes of 5v5 ice time together, that trio tallied zero 5v5 goals together while posting a Corsi For Percentage 44.58. Not great for a line with some skilled players in the offensive zone in Krejci (54.69 CF%) and DeBrusk (53.66%).

Simply put, Backes is a man without a line right now — especially with a checking line of Kuraly-Acciari-Wagner rolling and a “Kid Line” of Danton Heinen, Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson and Ryan Donato looking to gain some traction together (53.03 Corsi For Percentage).

“I don’t see where I’m taking shortcuts by any means, but part of it is a little bit of fit,” Backes said. “When you look at it and say, ‘Well, (Patrice Bergeron’s) line is one of the best in hockey. Noel’s line has really come a long way and has been an important factor in us winning games, especially in the last little while.

“The kids seem to have found something together, and then I was trying to fit with Krech and (DeBrusk) and it wasn’t phenomenal by any means, and they’re going to try Peter there. You start doing some simple math and a bag skate and a little bit of a reset was in the cards.”

At this point in his career, Backes was realistic with what he can provide to this club up front. Even after dropping weight this offseason, Backes is still a bit on the outside looking in when it comes to today’s NHL — where speed and skill have superseded size and straight-line skaters.

“At 34, am I all of the sudden going to turn into Jake DeBrusk’s type of speed? I think that’s a fallacy if you’re hoping for that,” Backes said. “But predictability among linemates, I think when I was playing with a more simple, straight, North-South type of line that’s kind of predictable, you can anticipate and you can get going and gives you the appearance that you’re playing with a ton of pace and a ton of quickness and speed.”

This might be new territory for Backes, but the veteran managed to stay positive ahead of Wednesday’s matchup. It's not the best scenario for pretty much all parties involved, but with Boston still picking up points at a steady rate, Backes isn't going to be the one to throw a wrench in the operation. 

“I think it’s been 12 years in between ‘em,” Backes said of his last scratch. “You’ve got a couple of options in how you react — either you cry and moan and go into shell, or work your butt off and try find your spot back in the lineup. The latter obviously has a lot more appealing outcomes than the former. That started this morning with some good work out there.”