Boston Bruins need to take it slow with David Backes
By jc
The Boston Bruins got some good news on the injury front this weekend. Torey Krug returned against the Minnesota Wild and showed no rust. Also, David Backes started to skate with his teammates for the first time in three weeks.
Backes, if you recall, has been out of the lineup since November 2. That night, he left the game against the Ottawa Senators early after a scary collision with Scott Sabourin.
The Bruins said Backes was out with an upper-body injury, but it was pretty clear he had a concussion.
This isn’t the first time Backes had this type of injury. According to Matt Kalman of WEEI, this is at least the third time Backes had a concussion since he he joined the Bruins. We say “at least” here because teams don’t always disclose head injuries. Instead, they refer to them simply as upper-body injuries.
Moreover, Backes dealt with concussion issues when he was a member of the St. Louis Blues. He has a rather extension history with head injuries, and this is why the Bruins need to be extra-cautious with Backes.
First off, the Bruins want to make sure they have a healthy Backes for the second-half of the reason.
Backes isn’t the player he once was, so fans consider him and his $6 million cap hit a detriment. That said, he still fills a role on this team.
Backes is one of the few guys on the Bruins roster who plays a physical game. He can’t bring it every night any more, but if he picks his spots, he can still be effective.
Remember in the first round against Toronto last year? After the Bruins lost the first game, Bruce Cassidy inserted Backes into the lineup. He made some big hits in the first period, and this changed the tenor of the series.
Backes still has these moments. Cassidy can’t rely on him every night, but there will be a game down the line where Boston needs him. As such, the Bruins need to make sure Backes is ready.
More importantly, the Bruins need to consider real life with Backes.
Concussions are serious. In fact, they are more serious than any other injury a player could face. Broken bones and torn muscles heal, so they usually don’t have long-term effects. Concussions, however, can impact an athlete long after his or her career is over.
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The Bruins need to be careful with Backes so that he avoid any long-term effects from his head injuries. Hockey’s only a game; life off the ice matters much more.