Boston Bruins: A deal with the New Jersey Devils actually makes sense
By Luke Ryan
The Boston Bruins are very likely still shopping the services of David Backes, Kevan Miller and John Moore; the New Jersey Devils might actually make sense for at least one of them.
Now, obviously we know the Boston bruins are in an ever so slight bind due to salary cap constraints and the desperate need to ensure that they can keep Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo with the team long-term. The blatantly obvious way to do so is to rid themselves of David Backes and his $6 million cap hit.
The New Jersey Devils, by comparison, have $18 million going spare with just a few restricted free agents to tie up; none of which is going to cause too much damage. Their key concern would be ensuring they maintain enough cap space next season with new contracts required by Taylor Hall, Nico Hischier and Wayne Simmonds among others.
Either way, at this moment in time they are lined up to very comfortably be able to take the David Backes’ contract off the Boston Bruins’ hands and still have a ton of cap space comparative to most of the league.
Why might this actually make sense, you ask?
New Jersey have a limited veteran core right now; sure you’ve got a 36 year-old Andy Greene, a 34 year-old Travis Zajac and a 33 year-old Cory Schneider, with new arrivals, PK Subban and Wayne Simmonds also likely to lend a voice, but they could find some locker-room value in having David Backes on-board.
He could provide that mentor to a team that’s forward group has an average age of just 25 years-old. Between cap space lending to a deal and the team potentially having the perfect third or fourth line role for David Backes in return for leadership in the locker-room, it could be the perfect match.
Add to that that the New Jersey Devils and Boston Bruins have completed trades in the recent past, suggesting a good relationship between Ray Shero and Don Sweeney and who knows; maybe the Boston Bruins can get this done.
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Think about the idea of offering them David Backes and a second-round pick in 2020 and 2021. Granted, it’s a steep price to pay, but it’s not as steep as losing your first-round pick. In return, they’re unlikely to bounce a contract our way; they don’t exactly have any awful deals. So let’s say they throw a sixth round pick out there.
It’s an expensive price to pay to rid us of a $6 million cap hit, granted. But that’s the price, contractual mistakes cost in the salary-cap world.
There is one caveat to this whole idea; David Backes has to be keen on it. Obviously, none of us know what the player is currently thinking, but the Boston Bruins have to ask for a no-trade list from him and you have to wonder whether the Devils make that list.
From an outsider’s perspective, I’d be looking at the group they have there and thinking; hey, maybe the youthful exuberance and a core group of talent that features PK Subban, Taylor Hall and Jack Hughes can actually compete right now.
Maybe something happens here, maybe not. The Boston Bruins will no doubt be chatting with Ray Shero; it’s just whether he’s keen.