Should the Ottawa Senators trade for David Backes?

The Ottawa Senators are likely to be sellers at the trade deadline but this doesn’t mean they won’t acquire players that can help the rebuild.

The trade deadline is less than a month away and the latest trade rumours surrounding the Ottawa Senators appear to involve taking on David Backes from the Boston Bruins.

The 35-year-old centreman has been in the spotlight recently after finding himself sent down to Boston’s AHL affiliates the Providence Bruins, with the veteran opting not to report to the team.

The Bruins released a statement claiming their agreement with Backes’ decision, which has led many to believe that he is firmly on the trading block.

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His hefty $6 million cap hit, along with his injury concerns and waning production (one goal, two assists in 16 games this season), are a big reason for this approach, with the Bruins likely to be buyers at the trade deadline.

This could put the Senators in a position to negotiate with the Bruins, making a deal with them that sees the Canadian organisation take on the final year of Backes’ deal while also receiving assets, such as draft picks, that can help contribute further to the team’s ongoing rebuild.

The thought of taking on a player earning $6 million might scare some people away, but Backes doesn’t actually earn that amount.

This year, he will earn a total of $4 million, with 3/4 of that amount coming as a signing bonus that was paid by the Bruins on July 1st last year.

In his final year, Backes will receive a signing bonus of $1 million and will earn a salary of $3 million for the rest of the season, something that will be far more palatable for owner Eugene Melnyk.

With the Senators roster expected to be flooded by a number of the top young prospects in the organisation’s system, the need to reach the cap floor could be something that Pierre Dorion needs to deal with once again.

Backes, if healthy, could still play a role on the Ottawa Senators, being a veteran presence to help guide some of the younger guys coming up, while potentially working towards being valuable enough by the 2021 deadline to help the Senators land more assets if he can improve his production in the Canadian capital.

Any deal would be dependent on Backes’ willingness to move to Ottawa. The Senators may be one of the only teams left in the league that could see the Minneapolis native play in the NHL again, which could help sway things in their favour.

With so many impending unrestricted free agents, the Bruins could negotiate a deal for one of them in exchange for offloading Backes as well as a draft pick in 2020 that the Senators could use to add to the 11 they already possess.

It’s a scenario that could potentially help both parties, depending on the player heading the other way, and it’s one that the Senators may need to consider seriously if they are unable to negotiate extensions with some of their higher priority free agents.

What do you think Sens fans? Would a deal for Backes make sense for the team? Who would you send the other way? What sort of draft pick compensation would you expect in return? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!