Boston Bruins: Is there anything we can do with David Backes?

David Backes has found himself an expensive healthy scratch the past two Boston Bruins games; is there any better use of him?

Given his $6 million per season contract, it’s very easy to vilify David Backes and blame him for signing it and not living up to his previous production. However, we must also remember that it was the Boston Bruins that offered him such a deal and thus are equally, if not more culpable.

At 35 years old, he can’t be blamed for his game declining, especially as he has always played with the sort of edge and aggressiveness that leads to a far more visible lessened impact on the ice.

The question though is what can the Boston Bruins salvage from the final two years of David Backes’ contract? Two healthy scratches in a row suggest there’s zero attempt being made to inflate his tires, even though we have seen a deal of older, expensive contracts paying off this summer.

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On that note, it’s fair to suggest that David Backes may well be the Calgary Flames’ Milan Lucic to the Edmonton Oilers’ James Neal. That deal actually seems to be somewhat of an outlier as opposed to being the norm when it comes to trading ageing stars on expensive contracts.

Could the Boston Bruins possibly find use for David Backes with the Providence Bruins; mentoring the next generation of players or would that be too much of a classless act, to send an NHL veteran, to ride the bus in the minor-league?

How about giving him some ice-time; carry on the rotation of fourth-line partners for Sean Kuraly?

There’s plenty of options; not least David Backes. Keeping some competition going between him, Brett Richie, Joakim Nordstrom, Chris Wagner and Par Lindholm wouldn’t exactly be a bad thing.

You never know, if he hit some form and made it stick for a while, maybe he does boost his trade value enough for the Boston Bruins to actually have to field some offers?

All I know is that he has shown an ability to produce in the past and by all reports put in a ton of effort this summer to ensure his conditioning was at its’ peak. On the occasions he’s played this year, he’s landed hits and gotten shots on net – he’s getting the simple stuff done.

Perhaps what is keeping him from a regular spot in the line-up is the fact that in all but one of those three appearances this season, he’s given up penalty minutes. That’s a guaranteed way to put yourself into the coach’s bad books and probably explains his minutes dropping to a meagre 08:46 against Colorado before being scratched.

The Boston Bruins do have some options available to them, though right now it seems they’re comfortable paying $6 million per season to have David Backes sit up top watching games.