Last summer the first offer sheets didn’t appear until several days into the UFA market.

This year we’ve got one on opening day, as the Vancouver Canucks have signed St. Louis Blues RFA forward David Backes to a three-year, $7.5 million offer sheet.

As per TSN the Blues now have a week to match the offer or received the Canucks second round pick in the 2009 entry draft as compensation.

Canucks GM Mike Gillis promised to make some bold moves and this one is certainly bold, although this move is a puzzling one.

Backes is a promising young forward whom the Blues hoped to re-sign but in his first two NHL seasons he’s posted up 23 points in 49 games and only 31 in 72 games last season.

The Canucks are hoping to bolster their offensive depth and it’s understandable they’d want to bring in a younger forward with his best years still ahead, but $2. 5 million per season is a steep raise and could put significant pressure on Backes if the Blues match or not.

I’m not sure if Backes is a former client of Gillis when he was still a player agent but if he is that’ll go a long way to further explaining why the Canucks new GM is taking this risk.

**UPDATE!**  The Blues wasted little time in announcing they would match the Canucks offer, meaning Backes will be staying in St. Louis. Swing and a miss for Gillis.