Analysis: Ducks Trade Kase To Boston

Photo: USA Today

By Michael Walters

The Anaheim Ducks have traded Ondrej Kase to the Boston Bruins for David Backes, prospect Axel Andersson and 2020 1st Round Pick. The Bruins are retaining 25% of Backes’ remaining contract according to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun. The 2020 1st Round Pick could be between the 27th and 31st overall pick depending on how Boston finishes this season.

The Boston Bruins had been trying to unload David Backes for some time now. Backes has one more year left on his contract for $6 million. With Boston retaining some of his salary, Anaheim will have an increased cap hit of about $1.9 million if Backes plays in the NHL. Anaheim would be paying $4.5 million of Backes’ salary but freed up $2.6 million by trading Kase. The $4.5 million cap hit could decrease to about $3.4 million if Backes plays in San Diego per Cap Friendly.

Listen To The DucksNPucks Podcast

Backes hasn’t played much in the NHL this season due to injuries and underperformance offensively. He has appeared in 16 games with Boston only scoring one goal and two assists, but he can still contribute defensively. According to Fox Sports reporter Andy Strickland, Backes will report to Anaheim this weekend. He will need about two weeks to skate and get back into playing shape before he plays with Anaheim. Backes did not skate while his status was in up in the air with Boston.

Ducks General Manager Bob Murray had this to say about Backes, “He sounds very eager … He’s been a leader all his life … He wants to show everybody that he still can play.”

Axel Andersson has been a top-ranked prospect in the Boston system. He is 19-years-old, 6 foot tall, 183 pounds, and has a right-handed shot. He is a very good puck-moving defenseman. Andersson has good vision on the ice and is able to make quality passes without turning over the puck too often. He plays well at both ends of the ice and can provide some offense at times. He has played 41 games with the QMJHL Wildcats this season scoring two goals and recording 20 assists. The downside to him is some feel he has been slow to develop into an NHL ready player night in and night out.

Analysis:

This is a deal that works for both teams. The Boston Bruins were able to get rid of Backes’ contract from their books. They had been looking to create some cap room and will be able to try to make some more moves before Monday. Boston added a player with an offensive upside to their lineup.

For Anaheim, the Ducks had tried to trade Kase at the beginning of the season with Carolina, but the deal ended up falling apart. Kase has been good this season(7 goals + 16 assists in 49 games), but also inconsistent as his injuries have been a concern. The Ducks are taking on Backes, who has his own injury concerns, but the Ducks were able to get a first-round pick, a solid prospect, and they didn’t have to completely take on all of Backes’ salary.

Anaheim took on a big contract finally as it had been reported they were willing to do and they got some youth in return. General Manager Bob Murray has started to accelerate the rebuild in Anaheim. It will be interesting to see what else happens in the next few days.

For more on this trade listen to our hockey podcast by clicking below or visit us at Podomatic, Spreaker, or YouTube.

Support us by becoming a DucksNPucks patron! Members can win game tickets, a $200 Cool Hockey gift card, and more!

Want to start your sports media career? Then Join The Puck Network!

DucksNPucks is part of The Puck Network, which covers the entire NHL. There are openings to cover your favorite team(s) and earn school credits! If you are interested, then apply by filling out the form here: Join Our Team. What are you waiting for? Start your sports media career TODAY!

February 21st, 2020