There were a number of topics discussed this week in New York City where the Blues conducted their organizational meetings. One could only assume the signing of upcoming free agents was on the agenda.

The Blues have a number of unrestricted as well as restricted free agents that will require a decent amount of attention from GM Doug Armstrong in the coming months.

The biggest name on the list is probably David Backes who has developed into maybe the Blues best all around player.  On the surface it appears the 26 year old has some serious leverage heading into a summer where he’s eligible to become an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career.

It’s safe to say both sides would like to get a deal done sooner than later but there is certainly no rush here. Armstrong has been a hard negotiator since taking over last summer for Larry Pleau which was evident in the signing of cornerstone players Erik Johnson and David Perron. Both these players were looking for longer deals but as RFA’s held little leverage in the negotiations.

That’s far from the case here with Backes who won’t hesitate to enter the open market if the Blues fail to meet his financial demands.

Is $5 million too much for David Backes?

This number could very well be the sticking point for the two sides. Fans can expect Backes to almost certainly be looking for a contract comparable to what Canucks forward Ryan Kesler and Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron signed in recent months. Bergeron received a three yr $15 M extension from Boston just a few weeks ago.

You can argue Kesler brings more offense to the table than Backes having three consecutive 20 goal seasons on his resume. Kesler finished last year with an impressive 75 points, 26 of which came on the power play. Like Backes, Kesler plays an all around physical game that includes playing in all situations.

Boston didn’t exactly do the Blues any favors by signing Bergeron to his three year extension. Sure Bergeron is a nice player but he and Backes are coming off of very similar seasons. Both players have one 30 goal season on their resume but you have to go back to 2005-2006 find Bergeron’s. You can make the case Backes has outplayed Bergeron over the last few seasons.

It’s the intangibles Backes brings to the ice that makes him such a priority for the Blues. He’s complete player whose size and strength makes him a force in all three zones. He’s your prototypical power forward who can play wing or center, kills penalties, plays the PP, annually among the league leaders in hits, fights, scores goals, and takes face-offs.  The Blues have often identified Backes as potential Captain material down the road as he brings a leadership element to the table as well.

In the past the Blues have back loaded contracts which could be difficult here with the potential of a lockout looming after next season. There’s also the possibility of another salary rollback for the players which would obviously have to be collectively bargained in the next CBA.  A frontloaded contract will be much more attractive to a number of NHL players in the next year or so.

I do think a rollback is unlikely when you consider superstar players such as Sidney Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin, Ilya Kovalchuk, Marian Hossa, and Evgeni Malkin are signed to lifetime contracts.   Can you see Gary Bettman telling Crosby he’s going to rollback his salary for the remainder of his deal? I can’t.

I do think the Blues will satisfy Backes before it’s all said and done. Can they really afford to lose a guy that means this much to the organization moving forward? It’s hard to replace size up front and the Blues aren’t exactly the biggest team in the league. The number Backes is looking for is pretty high especially when you consider the domino effect it could have with other Blues players down the line. It won’t be long before Perron’s contract expires and you know he’ll be looking for a lucrative long-term contract.    

 The Blues have a reputation of taking care of their players who perform on the ice. This past summer they inked Alex Steen to a four year extension as they previously did with Brad Boyes and Andy McDonald.   I don’t see this situation playing out any differently as the Blues understand how difficult (and expensive) it would be to replace a David Backes.            

This is a big opportunity for Backes to cash in and he will take full advantage of the opportunity in front of him. He and his wife Kelly do great work in the community and seem to truly enjoy St. Louis .  This doesn’t mean they will be willing to leave a few million bucks on the table to stay here.

Backes has gotten off to a slow start in terms of goal scoring but he’s played some very good hockey. If he’s wants to be paid $5 million dollars he’s going to have to produce like a $5 million dollar player.  His 30 goal season a few years ago set an expectation level that may be slightly unfair. I’m not sure he’ll ever be a consistent 30 goal scorer but there’s no reason he shouldn’t be expected to pop in 20-25 annually.  Signing Backes could mean the Blues will be forced to try and move another forward they currently have locked up long-term. Financially it could be hard to keep everyone including those already under contract.

Other notables up at the end of this season include RFA’s  B.J. Crombeen, Patrik Berglund, T.J. Oshie, Roman Polak, as well as UFA’s Cam Janssen, Eric Brewer, and Ty Conklin.

More to come,
Andy Strickland
strickland.andy@gmail.com