- Aug 24, 2006
- 7,518
- 18,924
GDT: CAR @ WSH - 2/1/2014 - Rescue: The 2 Points Mission
- Thread starter Carolinas Identity*
- Start date
- Aug 24, 2006
- 7,518
- 18,924
bleedgreen
Registered User
Staal has never been what I would call a high skill player. Not on skinners level. He's always been a power player, jamming at rebounds, wraparounds. I'll give you he used to be a stronger shooter. not sure what's happened there. I'm talking about pure talent with production. When staal is hot he is using what he has to its fullest, but he's never had skinners hands/shot/vision/skating. He has power, reach, drive(when he's scoring). It's not what I'm talking about. Not trying to minimize what staal is, but skinners skill game is not staal's game. Oneill and Sanderson had speed and shots, I think sandy had higher skill than oneill but regardless skinner has them both beat.
If you want to count staal we can count staal too, it's 100 pts and it's hard to argue against it. I'd still put skinner's over staal 's at his best but I guess that's a fair landmark. We'll say it after skinner either gets more goals than staal did or more pts that season, though that's not the point I was trying to make here.
Incubajerks
Registered User
I think O'neill was much more skilled than Sandy (who played with a nice, so underrated playmaker center in Cassels). O'neill had ton of skills, too bad he was the least in shape players who played in the nhl maybe 
bleedgreen
Registered User
I'd agree oneill had a better base of skills, but loses those pts because he didn't use them well. When he played the skill game he was not very productive. When he got moved to the wing and got passes from Francis, got the new fangled one piece stick, and started shooting everything instead of thinking about it he became much more productive. That's why I lean towards sandy, he used his maybe simpler skills better from an earlier point. That second year he started blowing up, and he knew he had to use his speed wide and shoot hard and he kept doing it until he lost Cassels. Neither one could maintain over a long career, and both needed centers to get the most out of them. Another reason skinner has them both beat.
Lazyking
Never Forget
Geoff Sanderson was my favorite player growing up. Right before they moved to Carolina, I went to a Panthers/Whalers game, my first game and he scored a hat trick..
Him, Cassels, O'Neill, Kapanan and Burke.. Should have made the playoffs that last year in Hartford.
Him, Cassels, O'Neill, Kapanan and Burke.. Should have made the playoffs that last year in Hartford.
Finlandia WOAT
No blocks, No slappers
- May 23, 2010
- 24,343
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The three most talented wingers in our history named "Jeff" (or "Geoff", which is the Old English version of the name, with weird spelling).
Dishface
Registered Jerk
tarheelhockey
Offside Review Specialist
I've watched the team an dhave gone to the games since Greensboro. I have noticed less spin o ramas and losing the puck and more sniping from Skinner this year. Have you just started watching the games this season?
Ole Gil
Registered User
- May 9, 2009
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Staal is 14th in goals per game (active 200 goals min). 17th in points per game (active 500 game min) 25th in assists per game (active 300 assist min).
Pretty good for non-highly skilled hockey player that takes off half of every season.
I think what it boils down to, is that he's not 'flashy' skilled, in the way that guys like Skinner, Samsonav, and O'sullivan are. But he's clearly doing something at a high skill level to be putting up these numbers. It's certainly not from leaning on Chad Larose all those years.
Pretty good for non-highly skilled hockey player that takes off half of every season.
I think what it boils down to, is that he's not 'flashy' skilled, in the way that guys like Skinner, Samsonav, and O'sullivan are. But he's clearly doing something at a high skill level to be putting up these numbers. It's certainly not from leaning on Chad Larose all those years.
Boom Boom Apathy
I am the Professor. Deal with it!
- Sep 6, 2006
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I think Bleed captured it well re: Staal. He has speed, power, drive, reach and a good shot when he's on. It's not to say he is "un-skilled", but his hands, vision, shot, and in tight skating aren't at Skinner's level. That doesn't mean he can't use what he has and be as (if not more) productive though, just a different way to achieve it.
And he is one of the most inconsistently consistent player I've ever seen. By that, I mean he is good for 82 games, 70-80 points every year, but within those years, he typically has long dry spells followed by dominant stretches. Don't get me wrong, all players have slumps, just you can count on it from Eric most every year...and when he's on, he's a dominant player so he leaves you wanting that dominant player on a more consistent basis.
And he is one of the most inconsistently consistent player I've ever seen. By that, I mean he is good for 82 games, 70-80 points every year, but within those years, he typically has long dry spells followed by dominant stretches. Don't get me wrong, all players have slumps, just you can count on it from Eric most every year...and when he's on, he's a dominant player so he leaves you wanting that dominant player on a more consistent basis.
