As the St. Louis Blues enter the offseason, perhaps the biggest question is whether or not their captain, David Backes, will remain with the team during the 2016-17 season. It is a topic that has been discussed for months, and now the conversation is only heating up.
He notched 21 goals and 24 assists for a point total of 45 on the season. He has 14 points in nineteen playoff games (seven goals, seven assists), and was an integral part of the Blues making it to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in 15 years.
Another notable statistic regarding Backes is his durability: since the 2008-09 season, he has missed a total of 16 games.
It is quite obvious his heart is in St. Louis, as he gave an emotional press conference interview after the Blues’ Game 6 loss to the San Jose Sharks. And on Saturday, he reiterated his hopes of remaining a St. Louis Blue: “This is home. I don’t know anything else. Yes, it would be my hope that something gets figured out.”
In his 10-year career with the Blues, the 32-year old Backes has played in 727 career games, scored 206 total goals, 254 assists, and a grand total of 460 points. He’s currently the second-longest tenured athlete in St. Louis sports (after St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina), and has become synonymous with the Blues franchise and the city as a whole.
Recently, he and his wife put their home up for sale in the St. Louis area, and while a move such as that can indicate a future move is being made, it’s wise not to jump to conclusions. He has made it clear multiple times that he wants to remain in St. Louis and a part of the Blues franchise.
There’s plenty of time for a deal to be worked out between both Backes and the Blues organization, however. It’ll definitely be the top headline of the Blues’ offseason.
