...
My problem can be summed up like this. When Perron has a bad period, the response by so many here is "trade him. He's lazy, selfish, and the team doesn't need him." When Backes has a bad period, "He must be fighting through an injury like a champ."
There are couple of reasons for that:
1.) Backes is a center, and Perron a winger. Blues are thin on center, and flush with wingers. Therefore centers are cut some extra slack on the Blues due to a lack of other options.
2.) Perron's issues are much easier corrected than Backes' issues. Getting a player to stop making a move at the blueline, or stop taking so many offensive zone penalties, or stop holding on to the puck too long is much easier than getting a player to score more goals.
3.) Perron's style of play doesn't exactly fit the stated playing style of the Blues. (He isn't the only one.)
4.) Perron's issues have been the same issues for a few seasons now. Backes is having a down year by the eye-test. (I'm aware of his point projection.) Backes doesn't seem to be playing as physical game-in and game-out like he usually does, and the goal scoring is lacking. But those aren't issues that have exsisted for years like with Perron.
5.) Perron "has a bad period" much more often than Backes "has a bad period." If Perron's bad period occurred at the same rate as Backes' over the past couple of seasons, I don't think people would be as hard on Perron. Perron is consistently inconsistent.
