Backes wants to help teammates hoist the Stanley Cup sometime

ST. LOUIS -- David Backes wears a lot of titles as one of the top young forwards on the St. Louis Blues.

The former right winger is now a center. He's also a scorer, a penalty killer, a power-play regular, a power forward, a beloved teammate and an emerging leader.

But the one title Backes really covets is one he wants to share with all of his St. Louis teammates and that is to be a Stanley Cup champion.

"Last season is just another year in the stat book now," said Backes, who put himself on the NHL map with a breakout 31-goal season that helped push the Blues into the playoffs after a long drought from postseason play. "We didn't get to write our names on the Stanley Cup, so we're going to need to play harder and do more good things more often to make it to that final run."

The 6-foot-3, 220-pound Minnesota native showed an ability to hoist the team on his broad shoulders several times last season. There was a four-goal night April 2 in a 5-4 victory at Detroit, including the game-winner against the mighty Red Wings.

The goal he scored in the closing seconds of a Jan. 19 come-from-behind win at Boston as he helped spur the Blues onto their red-hot and magical late-season run.

"It was nice to have that season," Backes said. "But if we didn't hoist that big silver trophy, then we didn't get the job done."

Growing up in a hurry

Backes has gone from 23 points to 31 and 54 in his first three NHL seasons. He was singled out for high praise by Team USA General Manager Brian Burke in August at the Olympic development camp and is expected to make the roster for the Winter Olympics.

"I would think he's strongly motivated with the Olympics and wanting to be one of the leaders on our team," Blues coach Andy Murray said. "We expect him to be a leader."

Murray moved Backes from wing to center last season because of an injury to Andy McDonald. Now it seems Backes is in the middle for good, although he admits he's still learning the role.

"I've been told, and it's been grinded into me, that I'm a center now," Backes said. "I've enjoyed the success that I've had at that position. If I can help the team more there, I'm glad to be there. Obviously it worked."

Backes' summer of 2008 included his honeymoon in Hawaii and being signed to a three-year, $7.5 million offer sheet by Vancouver that was eventually matched by the Blues.

That deal could turn out to be a major bargain if Backes' progress continues.

"I remember skating here in summer leagues three years ago when I wasn't on the team," Blues winger Cam Janssen said. "He'd come out and skate, he was just another player basically trying to make the team and prove himself.

"Boy, that jump he took was just incredible, and it shows how talented he really is. He's a big kid that uses his body well and he's intimidating to play against, because he'll hit you. He's also got great skill and a great shot."

Murray cast the deciding vote when it came to moving Backes from winger to center. Naturally, his was the only vote that counted.

"You have a feeling as a coach and it wasn't unanimous decision, that's for sure," said Murray, who has been watching Backes since his college days when Backes played against Murray's son, Brady Murray. "He's kind of like Walt (Keith Tkachuk). Everybody says Walt's a left winger. I don't know if we were playing Walt on left wing if he'd still be playing now.

"In the middle, he moves his feet more, he gets more involved in the game."

Murray openly he admits he likes his biggest players at center.

"With Backes and those big bodies like that, if they can move their feet they can be effective," he said. "Good teams have that strength down the middle and I think that helps us."

Looking for a quick spark

About the only knock on Backes are slow starts that have followed him throughout his time in St. Louis.

Last season he erupted for 28 of his 31 goals in the final 61 games after finding the net just three times in the first 21 contests.

"His difference in the first half and second half kind of mirrored our team as well in terms of success," Murray said.

The Blues were 9-10-2 in the first 21- games without much scoring from Backes. But they closed out the second half with a 25-9-7 flourish that saw them win eight of their final 10 games, and Backes was a regular contributor.

His slow start in 207-08, which was two goals in the first 17 games, nearly earned him a trip back to the minors. After a lecture that included potential travel plans to Peoria, Backes responded with 11 goals in the final 55 games.

"David's got to get off to a good start this year," Murray said.

Backes has every intention of doing so. He had to scratch and claw and fight his way onto the Blues' roster, something he uses as inspiration.

"I've always tried to keep it blue-collar," said Backes, one of only four Blues to play in all 82 games and the playoffs last season. "I know where I came from. I know what it took to get here -- and I know what it's going to take to stay here."

In a rare bit of down time this summer, Backes relied on one of his home state's best natural resources.

"I caught an 8-pound walleye at the fishing opener, that was pretty awesome," he said, calling it one of his summer highlights. "It was just relaxing and being at the lake, not having to do anything but worrying about where I was going to catch my next fish at."