St. Louis Blues: Is David Backes Worth It?

The St. Louis Blues have a lot of decisions to make this summer and each one seems to hinge on another. In the end, fans may have to ask themselves how much is too much for their captain.

It’s always interesting to see how public perception and fan favor swing in different directions based on different factors. If you had asked the majority of St. Louis Blues fans whether they wanted to do anything necessary to keep Kevin Shattenkirk before the season, they would have answered positively. Now, not so much. In fact, many are ready to see him go or at the very least resigned to the fact it might happen.

Similar is the way things have changed for David Backes. Never in the dog house in fans’ eye, but always managing to not quite get that critical goal or play poorly in that critical game, the Blues’ captain was fast becoming a nonessential piece.

How quickly a good postseason run changes the winds of fortune. Now, the sentiment from Blues Nation seems to be 50/50 at worst and trending toward the side of keeping the captain being a must for the team’s offseason plans.

Of course you have the emotional side of it. The man has spent all ten seasons of his NHL career in St. Louis. He’s been a pillar in the community. He’s not only aided local charities, but created his own to help local animals find shelter and homes. That’s all well and good, but it doesn’t involve what he’s actually being paid for.

Then you have the apologists. Those people that say you can’t measure leadership with stats. The ones that say he came up big for the Blues this last postseason with 14 points in 20 games. People that can’t envision him not being the captain – despite the fact that he was not an overwhelmingly popular choice to begin with and has only been captain for one season longer than Eric Brewer held the C.

When you focus on the ice, he’s been a good regular season player. In ten years he’s only failed to score 20+ goals on four occasions. One was a lockout year (though his totals don’t project out to more than 20) and one was his rookie season. The playoffs have not been his time.

Prior to the 2016 playoffs, two goals and four points in nine games was his career best. That year, however, he was a -5, which was only outdone on the team by Barret Jackman‘s -8. Yes, he had a fine postseason when the Blues went to the Western Conference Finals, but why did it take him until he was an unrestricted free agent (the time many players have career years of one form or another) to do so?

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None of this is meant to bash him. He’s been a fine member of the Blues and one that would be more than welcome to stay – at the right price.

We have to take a cold, hard look at what he is. He’s a fantastic person and a good player. He’s great with the team and “mans-up” every time the microphones are put in front of him with the tough questions.

However, for as great a leader as some want to label him now, he was the one saying the same old, tired lines every year following the season. He was the one saying the Blues knew what they had done wrong following every loss and yet things wouldn’t change. If fans want to hold the head coach to some higher standard, then why has that standard now gone by the wayside for the captain?

For all the good Backes has done, on and off the ice, we have to realize what he is. He is a 32 year old player who has racked up a lot of physical miles. His production has already begun to dip a little and it doesn’t usually rebound once you get into your mid-30’s. He’s also a third line player for the Blues if you put out your best current lineup or make offseason additions.

So, you must therefor ask how much is too much? What is that kind of player worth? Sure, he’s the captain, but should a letter afford you more money?

On a recent edition of the Big Sports show on 550 AM in St. Louis, it was stated that Backes might be in search of a contract similar to Ryan Kesler‘s.

Backes has given a lot to this team and a lot to the city. He’s not worth that kind of money though. That would be suicide for this team.

With the exception of two 70+ point seasons, one of which he scored 41 goals, Kesler’s numbers aren’t that much different from Backes. From that standpoint, I can see why Backes wants that contract. You can’t give it to him.

Backes is not going to produce $7 million type numbers. Kesler isn’t producing $7 million type numbers and plenty said it was a bad contract right away..  For that kind of money, you should be producing 60 point seasons on average.

To put this in better context, you need look no further than what is on the Blues roster.  If you look at average annual value, the Blues are paying $7.5 million to a 24 year old Vladimir Tarasenko and $7 million to a 30 year old Paul Stastny.

Tarasenko’s deal is looking like a steal by comparison, but he’s going to be expected to be a 40 goal scorer from here on out. Stastny has not produced in St. Louis like he did in Colorado, but he almost put up 50 points in 64 games in 2015-16 and is still seen as an overpaid failure. Additionally, those players are top line or second line players.

You cannot justify that kind of money for a third line player. You cannot argue that he deserves it because of what he has already given the team but call other players overpaid when their contracts were mainly based on past accomplishments as well.

The Blues already have enough contracts that are holding them back, regardless of market value. Jay Bouwmeester‘s deal was considered at the low-end of market value at the time. Now fans can’t wait to dump his salary with nothing in return. Stastny has been discussed. Steve Ott was being paid over $2 million to be a fourth line player, but that’s what he was worth at the time.

Backes is a St. Louis Blue. It would be nice if he could remain that for the remainder of his career. However, that doesn’t change what he is and what he will be.

He’s a physical player that plays a heavy game. Playing a long career the way he plays isn’t a combination often seen.

He’s a third line player with dipping, but solid production that had one good playoff year.

He’s a valuable voice and a leader in the locker room, but he’s been as much an example as anyone of what was wrong with the core of the Blues team for all their failing years.

Kesler money is way too much. If we’re honest, he’s probably worth what he was getting in his last contract with maybe a raise to $5 million.

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In a perfect world, he stays. He takes a hometown discount and allows the Blues to spend the money on other players to help them win. In reality, he’s just not likely to take that kind of money.

If he can get more elsewhere, he shouldn’t be expected to take that kind of money. However, the Blues cannot afford to pay at least four players over $6 million per year and only expect 30+ goals from one and 50+ points from maybe two.

So, you have to ask yourself, what is he worth to keep for you? How much is too much?