Bruins Sign Forward David Backes Among Six Players Signed on First Day of Free Agency

Bruins news release…

BOSTON, MA – Boston Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney announced today, July 1, that the team has signed forward David Backes to a five-year contract through the 2020-21 season worth an average annual value of $6 million.  

Backes, 32, completed his 10th season with the St. Louis Blues in 2015-16, producing 21 goals and 24 assists for 45 points with 83 penalty minutes and a plus-4 rating in 79 games. The 6-foot-3, 221-pound forward helped lead the Blues to a berth in the Western Conference Finals, skating in 20 postseason games and amassing seven goals and seven assists. 

Backes has worn a letter in seven of his 10 NHL seasons with the Blues, including the “C” in each of his last five seasons. Backes has led the Blues in hits in eight of the last nine seasons and ranked in the top-20 in the NHL in hits in each of his last nine years, dating back to 2007-08. He was top-5 in the league in hits in 2007-08 and 2009-10, while also setting a career high with 273 hits in 2013-14, third-most in the NHL. Backes was also a runner-up to Patrice Bergeron for the 2012 Frank J. Selke Trophy, awarded annually to the best defensive forward. He recorded his best statistical season in 2010-11, as he skated in all 82 games and posted 31 goals and 31 assists for a career-high 62 points with a career-best plus-32 rating (second in the NHL behind Zdeno Chara) en route to his first All-Star Game appearance. 

In his 10-year NHL career, Backes has skated in 727 games, amassing 206 goals and 254 assists for 460 points with 969 penalty minutes and a 49.7 faceoff win percentage. He ranks sixth on the Blues’ all-time scoring list. The right-shot forward is also a veteran of 49 postseason games, scoring 12 goals and adding 15 assists for 27 points.

Backes has represented the United States in international play several times, including earning a silver medal at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, Canada. Backes has played in 12 combined games at both the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver and the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia, compiling four goals and three assists. He has also played for the U.S. at the World Championships in 2007, 2008 and 2009, recording two goals and seven assists. Backes has been selected to represent the U.S. at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. 

The Minneapolis, Minnesota native was originally selected by St. Louis in the second round (62nd overall) of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. 

The Bruins have signed six players: defenseman Tommy Cross (one-year, two-way contract through the 2016-17 season worth an average annual value of $600,000 at the NHL level), goaltender Anton Khudobin (two-year contract through the 2017-18 season worth an average annual value of $1.2 million), defenseman John-Michael Liles (one-year contract through the 2016-17 season worth an average annual value of $2 million), forward Riley Nash (two-year contract through the 2017-18 season worth an average annual value of $900,000), forward Tyler Randell (one-year, two-way contract through the 2016-17 season worth an average annual value of $600,000 at the NHL level) and forward Tim Schaller (one-year, two way contract through the 2016-17 season worth an average annual value of $600,000 at the NHL level).

Defenseman Tommy Cross signed a one-year, two-way contract through the 2016-17 season worth an average annual value of $600,000 at the NHL level.

Cross, 26, completed his fourth season in the Bruins organization in 2015-16, skating in 64 games with Providence and recording three goals and 20 assists for a career-high 23 points with 97 penalty minutes. Cross also saw his first NHL action in 2015-16, appearing in three games with Boston and registering his first career NHL point, an assist in the Bruins’ 5-3 win at Arizona on October 17, 2015. In his AHL career, the 6-foot-3, 205-pound defenseman has played in 217 games with Providence, amassing 11 goals and 52 assists for 63 points with 261 penalty minutes. 

The Simsbury, Connecticut native was originally selected by the Bruins in the second round (35th overall) of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. 

Goaltender Anton Khudobin signed a two-year contract through the 2017-18 season worth an average annual value of $1.2 million. 

Khudobin, 30, completed his seventh NHL season in 2015-16, appearing in nine games with the Anaheim Ducks and posting a 3-3-0 record with a 2.69 goals against average and .909 save percentage. The 5-foot-11, 203-pound netminder also played in 31 games with the San Diego Gulls of the AHL in 2015-16, recording a 19-8-3 record with a 2.46 goals against average and a .921 save percentage.

Khudobin was previously acquired by the Bruins in a trade with Minnesota in exchange for defenseman Jeff Penner and forward Mikko Lehtonen on February 28, 2011. Khudobin appeared in 15 games with Boston over the course of two seasons from 2011-13, posting a 10-4-1 record with a 2.13 goals against average and a .926 save percentage. He also played in 60 games with Providence, compiling a 30-23-4 record with a 2.48 goals against average and a .919 save percentage. In his seven-year NHL career with Anaheim, Carolina, Boston and Minnesota, Khudobin has appeared in 100 games, amassing a 44-39-0-8 record with five shutouts, a 2.42 goals against average and a .918 save percentage. 

Representing Russia on the international stage, Khudobin has earned a gold medal at the 2014 World Championships as well as a silver medal at the 2015 World Championships. 

The UST-Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan native was originally selected by Minnesota in the seventh round (206th overall) of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.

Defenseman John-Michael Liles signed a one-year contract through the 2016-17 season worth an average annual value of $2 million. 

Liles, 36, skated in 17 games and notched six assists for the Bruins in 2015-16 after being acquired in a trade with Carolina in exchange for Anthony Camara, a 2016 third-round pick and a 2017 fifth-round pick on February 29, 2016. Prior to joining the Bruins, the 5-foot-10, 185-pound defenseman played in all 64 games for Carolina, recording six goals and nine assists for 15 points with 16 penalty minutes. In his 12-year NHL career with Boston, Carolina, Toronto and Colorado, Liles has skated in 800 games, amassing 87 goals and 278 assists for 365 points with 282 penalty minutes. In 40 career playoff games, he has notched four goals and seven assists for 11 points.

The Indianapolis, Indiana native was originally selected by Colorado in the fifth round (159th overall) of the 2000 NHL Entry Draft.

Forward Riley Nash signed a two-year contract through the 2017-18 season worth an average annual value of $900,000. 

Nash, 27, completed his fifth NHL season with Carolina in 2015-16, appearing in 64 games and producing nine goals and 13 assists for 22 points. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound forward skated in 68 games with Carolina in 2014-15, notching eight goals and establishing career highs with 17 assists and 25 points. Nash set a career high in goals in 2013-14, when he potted 10 goals and added 14 assists while skating in a career-high 73 games. In his five-year NHL career, Nash has played in 242 games, amassing 31 goals and 50 assists for 81 points with 69 penalty minutes. 

The Consort, Alberta, Canada native was originally selected by Edmonton in the first round (21st overall) of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. 

Forward Tyler Randell signed a one-year, two-way contract through the 2016-17 season worth an average annual value of $600,000 at the NHL level. 

Randell, 25, completed his first NHL season in 2015-16, skating in 27 games with Boston and producing six goals with 47 penalty minutes. He had goals in each of his first two NHL games played, becoming the first Bruin to do so since Dmitri Kvartalnov opened his NHL career with a five-game goal streak from Oct. 8-17, 1992. The 6-foot-1, 198-pound forward has also played in 172 games with Providence in the AHL from 2011-16, recording 17 goals and 16 assists for 33 points with 314 penalty minutes. 

The Scarborough, Ontario, Canada native was originally selected by Boston in the sixth round (176th overall) of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. 

Forward Tim Schaller signed a one-year, two way contract through the 2016-17 season worth an average annual value of $600,000 at the NHL level. 

Schaller, 25, completed his second NHL season with Buffalo in 2015-16, producing one goal and two assists in 17 games. The 6-foot-2, 219-pound forward also played in 37 games with the Rochester Americans of the AHL in 2015-16, notching 12 goals and 14 assists for 26 points with 48 penalty minutes. 

In 2014-15, Schaller split time between Buffalo and Rochester. He played 65 games with Rochester, recording 15 goals and 28 assists with 116 penalty minutes, while also appearing in 18 games with Buffalo, scoring one goal and adding one assist. In his first professional season with Rochester in 2013-14, Schaller netted 11 goals and added seven assists in 72 games. 

Prior to joining the Sabres organization, Schaller spent four years at Providence College from 2009-13, playing in 131 games and amassing 29 goals and 39 assists for 68 points with 161 penalty minutes. 

The Merrimack, New Hampshire native was originally signed by Buffalo as a free agent on April 2, 2013.