Will David Backes be back with the Blues next season? That remains to be seen, but his interview following the team’s playoff exit was loaded with the type of emotion you’d expect to see from a player who realizes change is coming.
Powerful stuff, but at the same time you wish that kind of emotion would have been shown by more of the roster during the actual series. That kind of pain and hunger could have been pretty useful in a series in which the Sharks consistently looked like the hungrier squad.
Backes will be an unrestricted free agent this summer and will likely look for a raise above the $4.75 million he earned in 2015-16. His strong performance in the playoffs (7 goals, 7 assists) should assist his efforts in future contract negotiations. At 32, Backes likely realizes this may be his last shot to get a hefty contract and he’ll probably have to look outside of St. Louis to find the kind of money he is after.
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