BOSTON — This time last year, David Backes had never been a healthy scratch since becoming an everyday player back in 2006.
That changed on Jan. 16, 2019, and since then it’s become somewhat commonplace for Backes to be an observer instead of a player.
Both in Boston’s 2019 postseason run and periodically throughout the current campaign, a fully healthy Backes has been unable to crack the lineup. The 35-year-old has played in just seven of a possible 18 games since returning from an injury on Dec. 1 and will play in his first game since New Year’s Eve when the B’s host the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday.
Head coach Bruce Cassidy admitted that part of the thinking in playing Backes against the Jets is that the Bruins’ mom’s trip currently is taking place, and he wanted Backes to get an opportunity to play after getting scratched Tuesday, the first game of the mother’s trip.
There’s no questioning Backes’ attitude, but the NHL is trending younger and faster, two things largely beyond his control that don’t work in his favor.
With the emergence of Anders Bjork, Backes now essentially is competing with Brett Ritchie and Par Lindholm on a nightly basis for one spot on the roster.
“Hopefully he outplays the guys that he’s supposed to (Thursday),” Cassidy said of Backes after morning skate. “I don’t know anything further than that, it’s his job to go out there, whatever minutes he gets, and play to the best of his abilities. If he doesn’t then we put someone else in.
“We dress our best lineup, if he’s part of those 12 and outworks (the others) when we have the 14 healthy forwards then he goes in, if not he sits and watches until he’s better than the next guy. We have certain guys that are going to always be in there because of their penalty kill contributions, but at the end of the day there’s room for two or three guys who aren’t on either unit to outplay one another. … They’ve got to separate themselves, that’s what we’re looking for.”
So how’s Backes taking it?
“It’s gymnastics, there’s no question about it,” Backes said Thursday morning, via Bruins.com “But that’s where we’re at right now, that’s a sign of a good team. If I’m not cracking the lineup, I think we’ve got a pretty good team. That’s kind of my perspective on it and I’m going to be called on at some point, kind of same way I was in the playoffs where didn’t start in there but was able to I feel like make an impact on a few games and help our team win.
“That’s what we’re about here is team first, and I’m trying to exemplify that when I’m in, when I’m out and be ready whenever I get called.”
Injuries can pop up at any time, especially with the age and mileage of some Bruins forwards. Backes might become an everyday player out of necessity at some point this season, but for now, this is his reality.
