Blues add David Perron on two-year, $7.5M contract

So, the Bruins instead give that same money to Backes, who’s two full years older than Eriksson, for five years? “I think that’s the way I’m going about it, and I would expect to be really good in that fifth year still”.

“From my time playing against Boston and the history of the team, it’s a blue-collar, hard-nosed, don’t-take-crap-from-anybody type of team, and that’s the way that I feel I’ve built my game in 10 years in the league”, he said. “They barely missed the playoffs past year, and if they were able to get in the playoffs I don’t think anyone would’ve wanted to play them”. Listing off some of the players already on the roster, Backes said it was more of a “retooling” than a rebuilding. But with Backes making $6 million dollars a season it doesn’t seem like he’ll be brought in as a third line center.

“That being said, when you can complement and share the load with a guy like [Patrice] Bergeron and [David] Krejci, that’s the way it’s sold”.

The Stanley Cup Playoffs also saw a new hero emerge in Troy Brouwer, as he scored 8 goals, including the game victor in the deciding game 7 vs. Chicago.

If there’s still an area of need for the Bruins, though, and if Backes does indeed play center for the B’s, it’s the right wing, where the B’s have just Jimmy Hayes and David Pastrnak signed, or on the right side of their defense, where Adam McQuaid, Kevan Miller, and Colin Miller stand.

But Backes said he’s got a lot left. What I’ve said internally here is that we’re excited to have Kevin Shattenkirk as a part of our team. There have been plenty of player movements with big names quickly going off the board.

Brouwer played three seasons in Chicago and four with the Washington Capitals before he was traded to St. Louis a year ago.

“They’re trying to get pieces back that will get them over the hump”, Backes said.