To only be on the hook for $1.5 million of the $6 million deal that the Boston Bruins had David Backes locked into for another season is a huge win. To add a talent like Ondrej Kase, even if the additional components make it slightly costly, marks n equally smart decision.
David Backes, as much as he was a great veteran figure, was always seeking to be dealt at this point in his career. No player wants to retire, especially one that feels they can still contribute, albeit not in the point-producing way they once did.