David Backes’s time with Boston Bruins might have come to an end. The Bruins announced on Friday that they have places Backes on waivers, risking losing the veteran center to another NHL team.
Still, Bruins would like to keep Backes within the organization if possible. According to general manager Don Sweeney, in case that the 35-year-old goes unclaimed by the end of the week, the team will assign him to their AHL affiliate Providence.
Backes played just 16 games with Boston this season, and struggled with efficiency, managing to contribute with one goal and two assists.
“David doesn’t agree with the situation, but that was the decision we made for the good of the team,” Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. “I respect David as a person and as a player, but we felt we had better options going forward.”
After 10 successful seasons with St. Louis Blues, which included an All-Star appearance in 2011, David Backes joined Boston Bruins on a five-year, $30 million deal. This didn’t turn out to be a good investment for Bruins, as Backes didn’t meet expectations and couldn’t match the production he had in previous years. However, he managed to establish a well-respected locker room presence, being named the team’s alternate captain.
Backes played a total of 944 career NHL games, scoring 245 goals and dishing 309 assists.
