Blues' Backes at his best as free agency looms
David Backes is stepping up when it matters most.
Not only has the St. Louis Blues captain played a major role in getting the team to within two wins of the Western Conference Finals, he's also putting himself in position to pull in a nice paycheck at season's end.
First, the present
Following a two-goal performance in Tuesday's Game 3 against the Dallas Stars, Backes is on the verge of setting a team record for game-winning goals in a single postseason.
.@dbackes42 tied a @StLouisBlues record with 3 GWGs in a single postseason (Brett Hull in 1988 and 1990, Scott Young in 2001). @EliasSports
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) May 4, 2016
Overall, Backes has scored five goals and added three assists in 10 games this postseason. As a result, he's upped his point-per-game average to .80 from 0.57 back in the regular season.
And then, the future
Backes is flexing his big game muscles less than two months before his contract with the Blues expires. The 32-year-old, who's coming to the end of a five-year, $22.5-million deal signed back in 2011, is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
Prior to the trade deadline, general manager Doug Armstrong said it would be an injustice to his teammates to deal the impending UFA. This after Armstrong said he relished the thought of Backes playing out his career in St. Louis.
The rub, of course, is that Backes is only increasing his potential worth on the open market, possibly making it more difficult for the Blues to retain the services of the aging winger.
Be that as it may, his playoff performance to date is serving both himself and the team very well to date. Neither side is complaining, and the contract bridge will be crossed whenever the Blues' run comes to an end.