Yesterday, the league handed down the Selke Trophy nominees for best defensive forward. They were Pavel Datsyuk of the Red Wings, Ryan Kessler of the Canucks, and Jonathan Toews of the Blackhawks. Absent here? David Backes of the St. Louis Blues.
Let’s get the obvious out of the way. Datsyuk has won this award the last three years. However, this year he missed 26 games, and while he played very well in those games, I hardly think it fair to put him in as a finalist.
I have no problem with Kessler’s nomination. He is a great defensive forward who just happens to have a good offensive upside (re, 41 goals). He belongs here.
Toews, I am having a hard time understanding here. Manny Malhotra, Patrice Bergeron, Ville Leino, these were all far more “defensive” minded forwards who saw far more time on the penalty kill. Granted, Toews had a +25 rating, but if that is the yardstick, then there is one person missing here: David Backes.
Backes saw more time on the penalty kill, played against the other team’s top line, and get this, had the single highest plus/minus rating of any forward in the NHL, +32. He also was second only to Zdeno Chara in that category.
Backes plays with an edge, and doesn’t take off any shifts. This award has very much become the best two-way forward award, and Backes still enters into that debate, potting over 30 goals and 60 points this season.
This is a mystery to me. Backes more than earned at least a nomination for his outstanding season. He remains a stalwart defensively, is a great leader, and contributes offensively.
Backes being left out of the Selke debate is ridiculous.