Bruins Sign David Backes to Five-Year, $30M Contract

The Bruins made some noise early on the first day of free agency, signing former Blues C/RW David Backes to a five-year, $30m contract that will have an AAV of $6m.

Backes, who turns 33 years old next season, is coming off a season in which he played 79 games, scoring 21 goals also adding 24 assists.

The 10-year-NHL vet has spent his entire career in St. Louis and will provide Bruins with immediate locker room presence the team has lacked over the past few seasons.

With David Krejci having a cap hit of 7mil and Patrice Bergeron being vertually untouchable, the question arises, where will Backes play? Forward or Wing?

In an interview with TSN Backes said he see’s himself as the team’s 3rd center, playing being David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron, leaving Ryan Spooner out of the equation.

The Bruins also signed defenseman John-Michael Liles to a one-year deal worth upwords of 2mil as well as goalie Anton Khudobin to a 2-year deal.