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EDINA, Minn. -- David Backes strolls to the dressing rooms at Braemar Arena in this town outside Minneapolis-St. Paul carrying a travel-worn St. Louis Blues bag bearing his familiar No. 42.Which is interesting, given that Backes, the former Blues captain selected by the team 13 years ago in the 2003 draft, is now a member of the Boston Bruins.No new Bruins bag yet?No, I havent had a bag or pants, Backes said with a grin. Ive requested them but youve got to go with what youve got, I suppose.The fact that Backes was still hanging onto a Blues bag might have been a matter of practicality and comfort for him, but it was also a nice metaphor for where Backes is at this point in his career -- caught somewhere between a significant past and a shiny new future.As Blues captain, a designation he wore on his jersey since 2011, some of Backes offseason duties would have normally included welcoming new teammates and preparing for another assault on a long anticipated Stanley Cup in St. Louis.This summer has proven to be something much different on both a physical and emotional level for Backes after he signed a five-year, $30 million deal to jump conferences and join the Bruins.We really invested in St. Louis and it was home for charitable stuff, connecting with the community, friendships that you make over 10 years, Backes explained before taking the ice as part of the Da Beauty League, an informal circuit that includes a number of current NHLers.You dont just replace those overnight. So I think thats been the most difficult thing to kind of come to terms with. Theres a lot of great relationships that weve built over time that arent necessarily going to be moving with us to Boston. But at the same time its a new endeavor, a new chapter. Well have to re-establish ourselves in Boston but its a different animal and were excited to conquer that next task.Of course the adjustment to a new team, new city and new systems will come with an added wrinkle this fall, given that Backes will spend most of September -- he hopes -- toiling for Team USA in the World Cup of Hockey. The tournament, all of which takes place at Torontos Air Canada Centre, starts Sept. 17.Backes joked that he might be meeting potential Bruins linemate and Team Canada center?Patrice Bergeron at the faceoff circle, as opposed to in the Bruins locker room or at a Bruins team function.Itll be like, Hi, Patrice, and Im going to beat you on this faceoff type of deal, the 32-year-old Minneapolis native said with a laugh.So, those sorts of challenges will be at the forefront for myself. Not necessarily organizing everything, but assimilating into whats already there, and I think theres a bit of a difference there. I dont know which ones easier, but I think itll be one task at a time -- and thats coming together as Team USA and winning a World Cup of Hockey. And, then, with I guess [playing] against teammates that Ive never met or never hung with or havent greeted yet.Two distinct narratives spring from Backes deal with the Bruins.First, his role as the Bruins try to recover from two straight playoff misses.Is he playing on the wing, maybe with Bergeron, or as a third-line center and power-play contributor playing behind Bergeron and David Krejci? Will his veteran presence help refocus a Bruins team that has seen a change in management and a rather stunning slide from contender status since appearing in the Stanley Cup finals in 2013?Secondly, what kind of void is created by Backes absence in St. Louis, especially considering that in just over a year the Blues have lost key players T.J. Oshie, Troy Brouwer -- who came to St. Louis in the Oshie deal last summer -- Brian Elliott, Steve Ott and now their captain?Former longtime NHL player and national analyst Darren Pang, who worked Blues games last season, lives in the same neighborhood the Backes family used to call home in St. Louis. He said its amazing how many local business owners, restaurateurs and the like have already expressed sadness at seeing Backes leave town.Hes just one of those guys, Pang said. Theres so much more to David Backes than adopting puppies and his love for animals. He will be greatly missed in this community.The Boston community? Theyll love him.Backes departure comes at a time when he seemed to have redefined himself within the Blues organization as a key part of their arsenal, having moved from center to right wing for much of last season.Its incredibly significant for the Blues, Pang said of Backes departure.I think he just found his niche playing on the right side, added Pang, who will serve as an analyst for ESPN at the World Cup. I just felt like he was never stressed out last year playing the wing.And to be sure, its not like the Blues cast Backes out.They say they preferred to keep him, especially after he topped the 20-goal plateau for the third straight season and then added 14 points in the playoffs as the Blues advanced to the Western Conference finals, where they fell to the San Jose Sharks in six games. But the dollar and terms that other teams, including Boston, were willing to offer -- and the fact the Blues will have a new, younger look -- meant Backes moved on.As for Backes, hes ready to embrace a fall that will take him into uncharted territory.In the end its hockey, and Ill do what I can to be the best player I can in whatever situation were in, he said, whether thats Team USA or as a Boston Bruin. Faux Vapormax Pas Cher . Down by seven with 90 seconds left in regulation, thats where they looked comfortable. Vapormax Plus Solde . -- Jimmie Johnson held off a teammate, passed a pair of Hall of Famers, and dominated once more at Dover. http://www.vapormaxsolde.fr/basket-vapormax-femme-grossiste.html . Aside from the trilogy main event title fight, there are a number of intriguing matchups in the heavyweight, welterweight and lightweight divisions. Vapormax Off White Pas Cher . -- Jimmie Johnson held off a teammate, passed a pair of Hall of Famers, and dominated once more at Dover. Vapormax Off White France . After a first half in which he thought "the lid was on the basket," the Toronto Raptors coach watched his squad mount a second half surge to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 98-91. ARLINGTON, Texas -- Andrew Cashner wanted to come home to Texas to pitch, and the Rangers have long coveted the right-hander.Cashner, a free agent for the first time, was introduced by the AL West champions Monday night after he underwent a physical and then finalized a $10 million, one-year contract.A guy weve liked for a long time, general manager Jon Daniels said. Weve tried to acquire him a few times in the past, and finally got it right.Cashner finished last season with the Miami Marlins after the San Diego Padres traded him July 29, after the Rangers had also inquired about the starter. He was 5-11 with a 5.25 ERA in 28 games last season, when he had disabled list stints for a strained neck and a sore right hamstring.The 30-year-old Cashner was born in Conroe, about 40 miles north of Houston, and still lives close to there. He played collegiately at TCU, which is only about 20 miles from the Rangers ballpark.Its always been a dream to play back in Texas, Cashner said. Somebody told me the other day the Rangers have the best culture in baseball. That sets the tonee for winning.dddddddddddd ... My job is to show up and help us win more. This is where I wanted to play.Cashner was the 19th overall pick by the Cubs in 2008 and made his major league debut two years later with 53 relief appearances for Chicago. The Cubs traded him to San Diego after the 2011 season in the deal that sent first baseman Anthony Rizzo to Chicago, and Cashner eventually became a starter for the Padres.With the Rangers, Cashner will join a rotation led by aces Cole Hamels and Yu Darvish that also includes Martin Perez.The last Texas-born pitcher to start a game for the Rangers was Jason Jennings in 2008.Cashner has a 31-53 record with a 3.89 ERA in 202 career games for the Chicago Cubs, Padres and Marlins. He has started 103 of his last 104 games since making five relief appearances for San Diego the first month of the 2013 season.Daniels said the Rangers are still focused on adding outfielders and depth to the starting rotation. ' ' '