St. Louis Blues

St. Louis captain Backes could face demotion due to youngsters

Published Jul. 28, 2015 11:22 a.m. ET

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Change is coming to the St. Louis Blues, and captain David Backes might not like all of the differences with next year's Blues. 

According to coach Ken Hitchcock, Backes's spot in the lineup will be determined by how NHL-ready the team's prospects are, and Backes could drop down to a third-line center role should the youngsters prove capable of managing a top-six spot. 

"I think where we play David now depends on (Dmitrij) Jaskin, (Ty) Rattie and (Robby) Fabbri," Hitchcock told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "How they do in camp and what level of play we think they can arrive at will determine how much we play David on the right wing.

"I can tell you right now, (Backes) is going to play more right wing than he’s played since I got here. Whether he’s a full-time player there or not, we don’t know yet. That depends on those three young kids."

Fabbri, a 19-year-old center, has just three professional games to his name but totaled four points (one goal, three assists) in those three games. Rattie, a more seasoned 22-year-old, has two AHL seasons under his belt and posted at least 40 points in both of those campaigns. The Czech-born Jaskin spent most of last season with the Blues, and he seems like a lock for a St. Louis roster spot this coming season.

(h/t St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

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