David Backes has two years remaining on his contract with the Bruins, but his tenure in Boston is at a crossroads.
General manager Don Sweeney signed Backes to a five-year, $30 million contract in July 2016, hoping he would provide a physical style of play and versatility to the team’s lineup as a third-line center or a right wing on the team’s top two lines.
“Most players would look at it and say, ‘Well, you’ve got [Patrice] Bergeron and [David] Krejci, where am I playing?'” Sweeney told NHL.com’s Amalie Benjamin after Backes joined the Bruins.