from Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch,
At some point soon, pending unrestricted free agent David Backes will make a decision that will have ramifications on many levels.
Will Backes leave the only organization he's ever known, the Blues, who selected him in the second round of the 2003 NHL draft and appointed him the 20th captain in franchise history in 2011? If he does, who does the club turn to for its next leader?
Will Backes, who let the tears roll in a postgame interview following the Blues’ playoff loss to San Jose in the Western Conference finals, continue the quest for the organization’s first Stanley Cup? If he doesn’t, how does the team reload?
A career — and potentially franchise-altering — verdict could be known in the next 24 hours, as Backes and the Blues approach the start of free agency without a contract extension for the 32-year-old forward. Opposing clubs were allowed to begin courting unrestricted free agents last Saturday, and the period to sign them opens at 11 a.m.(CT) Friday.
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