One of the more interesting moments in Cam Neely’s interview with Felger and Mazz Thursday came when Neely was asked about the team’s direction.
Speaking about the firing of Claude Julien, Neely hinted at Julien doing well enough with playing young players. Yet the team’s decision to trade draft picks for veterans at the last trade deadline and then sign an aging David Backes would suggest they were trying to win now.
This point was raised by Mike Felger, who essentially asked which of the two the organization was doing: implementing young players and allowing for mistakes or trying to make the playoffs with veterans.
“Last year, we were in the playoffs [and] felt we needed to add to give us the better shot to continue to stay in the playoffs,” Neely responded. “It didn’t happen. We tanked down the stretch. Should have been in the playoffs. I’ll say it today, I’ll say it tomorrow, I said it yesterday. We are trying to add some youth with the guys.
“David Backes is a guy that we feel could help our top six today and moving forward, bring some leadership he brought to St. Louis, but we felt he would help us today, tomorrow, next year, the year after, while some of these players are still getting integrated.”
Yet Backes has struggled in his first season of a five-year, $30 million deal. At 32 years old, he’s more likely to decline than find the fountain of youth, and he has 10 points in his last 25 games. Asked about Backes’ play, Neely called out David Krejci, which should be taken as somewhat odd.
“[Backes] has not played up to the expectations,” Neely said. “He’ll tell you he hasn’t played up to the expectations. He’s frustrated with his game. He knows that he’s expected to do more. David Krejci, the same way. David Krejci, is nowhere near playing the way that he’s capable of playing, in my opinion.”
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Krejci is off his pace from last season, but has easily outperformed Backes and is third on the team in points. Compared to the afformentioned Backes numbers, he has 17 points in his last 25 games. Krejci, whose decent numbers have also come following offseason hip surgery, would not figure to be the first player to come to mind when thinking of struggling Bruins.
One potential conspiracy theory: Krejci's current contract was signed by Peter Chiarelli, while Backes is a Sweeney signing. It would be understandable if this leadership group would rather the former be viewed as worse than the latter.