GDT: Free Agent Frenzy: The Horror, the Horror!!!

[Joe McGrath]

The point isn't that Toews is some superhuman captain. He's just an example of a try-hard.

The point is that Eric spent a good part of his career here sulking around, yelling at refs from one knee, watching his linemates play defense, and generally giving about a 75% effort unless the circumstance demanded he step up. This was discussed in real-time as it was happening, and is not some sort of collective amnesia.

For a guy to play the game that way, while collecting a HUGE amount of money and favor from his employer, and then criticize said employer for not giving that "little extra" to win... well. The "first breakup" comment sounds pretty spot-on to me.

I know that's not the point, I just get really sick and tired of Toews put on this leadership pedestal when you could drop in him in EStaals place and the team wouldn't have magically become a cup contender due to better leadershipping.

 

[Cane mutiny]

I'm already contemplating what our first game against him will be like. I wouldn't be surprised if he suffers a career ending injury from trying to hit someone for the first time.

 

[Navin R Slavin]

I know that's not the point, I just get really sick and tired of Toews put on this leadership pedestal when you could drop in him in EStaals place and the team wouldn't have magically become a cup contender due to better leadershipping.

You don't actually know that, though, do you?

Twice during this drought, the Canes were in "win-and-in" situations in Game 82, and lost both times. One extra win. Would a guy like Toews have made that one-win difference? I don't think the answer is a definitive "no".

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

the carolina hurricanes have sucked for 7 years

eric staal said "i loved my time in carolina, but it was tough to suck for 7 years"

i dont really see the issue with this



hes looking at the silver lining, hes a human being essentially working for a "new company" now, is he supposed to say "i loved my time in carolina, i wish i was still there, and i am completely destroyed as a player and a man that they didnt want me anymore"?

then whats he supposed to say?

 

[Navin R Slavin]

the carolina hurricanes have sucked for 7 years

eric staal said "i loved my time in carolina, but it was tough to suck for 7 years"

i dont really see the issue with this

hes looking at the silver lining, is he supposed to say "i loved my time in carolina, i wish i was still there, and i am completely destroyed as a player and a man that they didnt want me anymore"?

then whats he supposed to say?

Nothing. He's supposed to say nothing.

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

Nothing. He's supposed to say nothing.

lol

"eric, in your last 7 years in carolina you had some tough times, are you excited to be in a place here in minnesota that might have some more offensive talent around you?"

hes not going to answer "no comment" to that, hes a new free agent signing, expressing how excited he is to be in his new place, and hes probably getting questions left and right about how leaving carolina was

not only that, but leaving wasnt really 100% his idea in the first place, and he signed to a reasonable contract that he probably wouldve rather had in carolina, and they didnt want him

he owes nothing, and gave as classy a response as you can give

 

[Navin R Slavin]

lol

"eric, in your last 7 years in carolina you had some tough times, are you excited to be in a place here in minnesota that might have some more offensive talent around you?"

hes not going to answer "no comment" to that, hes a new free agent signing, expressing how excited he is to be in his new place, and hes probably getting questions left and right about how leaving carolina was

not only that, but leaving wasnt really 100% his idea in the first place, and he signed to a reasonable contract that he probably wouldve rather had in carolina, and they didnt want him

he owes nothing, and gave as classy a response as you can give

We're arguing over very little here, of course, because it's the off-season.

But the classy answer was "I'm looking forward to the opportunity to play big minutes on a great Wild team."

 

[GoldiFox]

Same thing happened that happens every time Staal gets knocked down. He got pissy, slammed his proverbial stick on the ice, and slowly moped his way to the bench while those around him were moving forward. Thankfully he is taking that attitude to a different bench now.

As Hank said, it doesn't matter whatsoever now, it just agitates me that he continues to do it.

 

[Finlandia WOAT]

lol

"eric, in your last 7 years in carolina you had some tough times, are you excited to be in a place here in minnesota that might have some more offensive talent around you?"

If this is what he was literally asked, I think people are inventing the "blaming the team for his poor production" angle.

 

[Navin R Slavin]

Same thing happened that happens every time Staal gets knocked down. He got pissy, slammed his proverbial stick on the ice, and slowly moped his way to the bench while those around him were moving forward. Thankfully he is taking that attitude to a different bench now.

When we talked about Eric over the years, we talked a lot about leadership -- whether he had it, whether he didn't, what leadership means.

In the end, it's about a ton of little things, and a mindset.

A lot of people say "he produced for years on a ****** team, that makes him leader enough." Something to that.

A lot of other people say "he missed a lot of opportunities to do the little things well that make for a true leader." Something to that too.

But none of it matters now. Now it's all for the Caniac scrapbook.

 

[Joe McGrath]

You don't actually know that, though, do you?

Twice during this drought, the Canes were in "win-and-in" situations in Game 82, and lost both times. One extra win. Would a guy like Toews have made that one-win difference? I don't think the answer is a definitive "no".

As a hockey player he might have. Not because of his magic pixie dust leadership though.

Edit: And let's not forget that one of those game 82 flops was captained by Brind'amour, not Staal.

 

[geehaad]

Well, let that be the end of that topic, then.

 

[A Star is Burns]

I would also argue that we have no idea if those teams would have been in a position for win and in with Toews in place of Staal. They may have been better, or perhaps Toews can't carry a team like that the same way and they'd have been way out of it.

 

[the halleJOKEL]

if we won the lottery in 2005 this would have never happened

 

[tarheelhockey]

I would also argue that we have no idea if those teams would have been in a position for win and in with Toews in place of Staal. They may have been better, or perhaps Toews can't carry a team like that the same way and they'd have been way out of it.

Again, the Toews reference had nothing to do with who is the better hockey player. It was entirely a comment about how Eric would go very long stretches without leaving it all on the ice. Use Chad LaRose as a comparison if it's less provocative.

 

[Roboturner913]

^ I was watching a game I had on the DVR from very early in the season. At Avs. We were 1-4 at that point. Ended up winning 1-0 in OT somehow, but what really struck me was the complete and total (and embarrassing, seriously) lack of defensive effort from Eric. Everybody was jacked up in the 3-on-3 and flying all over the place, but it was like Eric just couldn't be bothered. Not moving his feet, lazily reaching with his stick. Iginla had a breakaway that nearly ended the game because Eric's backcheck was so pitiful. I know he doesn't have the legs he used to, but how you get outraced to a puck by freaking Iginla.

 

[Unsustainable]

Dear Eric,

May you bite into a big chunk of garlic so your mouth feels funny for the next few days.
May a condom commercial come on tv while you’re in the room with your girlfriends dad.
May you stub your toe on every piece of furniture in your apartment.
May you over-salt every meal you try to cook.
May all of your pillows smell of feet.
May your toast always burn, and may no amount of scraping remove the black parts.
May your pen leak all over a drawing that was coming along really well.
May your teeth become very cold-sensitive.
May your mailbox be clogged with advertisements.
May you clog the toilet the first time you go to a new friends house.
May you always have an unsettling feeling of bugs crawling all over you when you’re trying to fall asleep.
May you always step in a funky-colored liquid after putting on socks.
May your ice cream always be frost burnt.
May every vending machine eat or reject your dollar.
May that “silent†fart come out surprisingly loudly.
May you develop erectile dysfunction.
May you step on a d4
May every toilet seat you sit on be either uncomfortably cold or uncomfortably warm.
May the elastic on all of your underwear give out.
May you always have a zit right on the inside of your nostril.
May you always have to pee while a cat is sitting on your lap.
May your next-door neighbor buy a set of bagpipes and practice every night until 4 in the morning.
May your favorite sweater shrink in the dryer.
May you get busted for illegally downloading something.
May you always have that feeling of having to sneeze.
May you fart in the middle of making out with someone.
May all of your favorite shows and movies be removed from Netflix.
May you get an un-hideable hickey right before you go visit your grandmother.
May there always be a pebble in your shoe.
May you spill your drink in your lap so it looks like you peed yourself. May this happen right before a date.
May your significant other forget your birthday.
May you run out of toilet paper, paper towels, and kleenex, and then get food poisoning.
May you always lose your chapstick.
May a flock of noisy geese start hanging out right outside of your bedroom window.
May the delivery guy always forget your drink.
May you take a giant drink of milk right out of the carton, only to discover its gone bad.
May your cup runneth over… with hot coffee.
May Autocorrect punish you.
May you always overdraft your bank account by like a dollar and have to pay a stupidly large fee.
May you find something really gross in the bottom of your cup of coffee after you’ve already finished it.
May you be the one to discover that there is a hole in the oven mitt.
May you step on this ungodly hybrid. (picture of a lego with a thumbtack stuck through it).
May you have an unforgivable Freudian slip.
May your roommate get addicted to a really irritating song and play it constantly.
May your most embarrassing tumblr post go viral.
May you be cursed with ingrown hairs that look like herpes.
May you suddenly become uncomfortably aware of your tongue.
May you get the hiccups during a phone interview for a job you really want.
May every surface you touch be sticky.
May your acne never go away.
May you always die in a video game just before you reach a checkpoint.
May your life develop a laugh track.
May your laundry always come out of a dryer a little bit damp.
May your favorite book be adapted into a terrible movie.
May you get a blister on the side of your pinkie toe.
May the spoon fall into the bowl every time you eat soup.
May you have to close every open tab because you can’t figure out where the music is coming from.
May you slice your finger while cutting up a lemon.
May you hit every red light.
May that unreachable spot on your back always itch.
May someone set the child censorship thingy on your netflix account.
May the YMCA song get stuck in your head for the next six months.
May all of your exes suddenly get really really hot.
May you develop a persistent itch on the inside of your nose.
May netflix cut out on you every few minutes for the rest of your life.
May you always get called in to work on your day off.
May you never find a job in your chosen field.
May your name become synonymous with the word “*******†in someones circle of friends.
May all the cheese and toppings fall off of your pizza.
May you suddenly become lactose intolerant.
And gluten intolerant.
May you always think of epic comebacks two hours after an argument.
May your water heater suddenly crap out in the middle of winter.
May every table or chair you sit on/at have uneven legs.
May you never find a comfortable sleeping position again.
May you accidentally send a sexy text message to your mom.
May you always wake up two minutes before your alarm goes off.
May your roommate suddenly develop a habit of chewing way too loudly.
May every book or TV series you ever watch get spoiled.
May every selfie you post for the rest of your life get zero likes.
May the barista always give you decaf by accident.
May you always burn your tongue on your hot chocolate so you can’t even taste it.
May a bee fly into your mouth while you’re biking.
May someone always flick a cigarette butt into your can of soda. Even if nobody’s in the room with you.
May all of your favorite videos on youtube get deleted.
May you always end up in the line for the slowest cashier.
I hope that from here to eternity, every time you try to download something, your computer crashes when its at 99%

 

[Dishface]

^yeah what he said

 

[Navin R Slavin]

Dear Eric,

May you bite into a big chunk of garlic so your mouth feels funny for the next few days.
May a condom commercial come on tv while you’re in the room with your girlfriends dad.
May you stub your toe on every piece of furniture in your apartment.
May you over-salt every meal you try to cook.
May all of your pillows smell of feet.
May your toast always burn, and may no amount of scraping remove the black parts.
May your pen leak all over a drawing that was coming along really well.
May your teeth become very cold-sensitive.
May your mailbox be clogged with advertisements.
May you clog the toilet the first time you go to a new friends house.
May you always have an unsettling feeling of bugs crawling all over you when you’re trying to fall asleep.
May you always step in a funky-colored liquid after putting on socks.
May your ice cream always be frost burnt.
May every vending machine eat or reject your dollar.
May that “silent†fart come out surprisingly loudly.
May you develop erectile dysfunction.
May you step on a d4
May every toilet seat you sit on be either uncomfortably cold or uncomfortably warm.
May the elastic on all of your underwear give out.
May you always have a zit right on the inside of your nostril.
May you always have to pee while a cat is sitting on your lap.
May your next-door neighbor buy a set of bagpipes and practice every night until 4 in the morning.
May your favorite sweater shrink in the dryer.
May you get busted for illegally downloading something.
May you always have that feeling of having to sneeze.
May you fart in the middle of making out with someone.
May all of your favorite shows and movies be removed from Netflix.
May you get an un-hideable hickey right before you go visit your grandmother.
May there always be a pebble in your shoe.
May you spill your drink in your lap so it looks like you peed yourself. May this happen right before a date.
May your significant other forget your birthday.
May you run out of toilet paper, paper towels, and kleenex, and then get food poisoning.
May you always lose your chapstick.
May a flock of noisy geese start hanging out right outside of your bedroom window.
May the delivery guy always forget your drink.
May you take a giant drink of milk right out of the carton, only to discover its gone bad.
May your cup runneth over… with hot coffee.
May Autocorrect punish you.
May you always overdraft your bank account by like a dollar and have to pay a stupidly large fee.
May you find something really gross in the bottom of your cup of coffee after you’ve already finished it.
May you be the one to discover that there is a hole in the oven mitt.
May you step on this ungodly hybrid. (picture of a lego with a thumbtack stuck through it).
May you have an unforgivable Freudian slip.
May your roommate get addicted to a really irritating song and play it constantly.
May your most embarrassing tumblr post go viral.
May you be cursed with ingrown hairs that look like herpes.
May you suddenly become uncomfortably aware of your tongue.
May you get the hiccups during a phone interview for a job you really want.
May every surface you touch be sticky.
May your acne never go away.
May you always die in a video game just before you reach a checkpoint.
May your life develop a laugh track.
May your laundry always come out of a dryer a little bit damp.
May your favorite book be adapted into a terrible movie.
May you get a blister on the side of your pinkie toe.
May the spoon fall into the bowl every time you eat soup.
May you have to close every open tab because you can’t figure out where the music is coming from.
May you slice your finger while cutting up a lemon.
May you hit every red light.
May that unreachable spot on your back always itch.
May someone set the child censorship thingy on your netflix account.
May the YMCA song get stuck in your head for the next six months.
May all of your exes suddenly get really really hot.
May you develop a persistent itch on the inside of your nose.
May netflix cut out on you every few minutes for the rest of your life.
May you always get called in to work on your day off.
May you never find a job in your chosen field.
May your name become synonymous with the word “*******†in someones circle of friends.
May all the cheese and toppings fall off of your pizza.
May you suddenly become lactose intolerant.
And gluten intolerant.
May you always think of epic comebacks two hours after an argument.
May your water heater suddenly crap out in the middle of winter.
May every table or chair you sit on/at have uneven legs.
May you never find a comfortable sleeping position again.
May you accidentally send a sexy text message to your mom.
May you always wake up two minutes before your alarm goes off.
May your roommate suddenly develop a habit of chewing way too loudly.
May every book or TV series you ever watch get spoiled.
May every selfie you post for the rest of your life get zero likes.
May the barista always give you decaf by accident.
May you always burn your tongue on your hot chocolate so you can’t even taste it.
May a bee fly into your mouth while you’re biking.
May someone always flick a cigarette butt into your can of soda. Even if nobody’s in the room with you.
May all of your favorite videos on youtube get deleted.
May you always end up in the line for the slowest cashier.
I hope that from here to eternity, every time you try to download something, your computer crashes when its at 99%

LOL -- citation needed, though.

http://casualcurses.tumblr.com/post/114345218360/my-epic-list-of-casual-curses

 

[Blueline Bomber]

Again, the Toews reference had nothing to do with who is the better hockey player. It was entirely a comment about how Eric would go very long stretches without leaving it all on the ice. Use Chad LaRose as a comparison if it's less provocative.

Has it reached a point where LaRose isn't provocative? Used to be you couldn't mention that name without getting ganged up.

Again, it's real simple. Eric had a lot of issues here, some due to the nature of the team, some due to his own shortcomings. If he simply commented on the nature of the team, I don't think many would have faulted him for it.

But when he starts talking about "how close they were" last year, and how his teammates just needed to "give a little more", during a year where he was paid $9 million to put up 33 points, that's a guy that needs to shut the **** up.

 

[Navin R Slavin]

But when he starts talking about "how close they were" last year, and how his teammates just needed to "give a little more", during a year where he was paid $9 million to put up 33 points, that's a guy that needs to shut the **** up.

/mic drop

 

[caniac247]

I saw on twitter last night that Staal's contract has a limited NTC (20 teams in year 1 and 10 teams in years 2/3).

I'm actually surprised/shocked that he was able to get a NTC from a team. Since it's a NTC if he sucks it up, they can expose him, but still.

 

[RodTheBawd]

I would pay a few gold coins to see his lists.

 

[WreckingCrew]

I saw on twitter last night that Staal's contract has a limited NTC (20 teams in year 1 and 10 teams in years 2/3).

I'm actually surprised/shocked that he was able to get a NTC from a team. Since it's a NTC if he sucks it up, they can expose him, but still.

Now which would suck for him more after all this? A) Being exposed and taken and having to finish his declining career in Vegas on an expansion team, or B) Being exposed but having declined so much not even an expansion team will claim him?

I'm thankful for all Eric did for this franchise over the years and served as the face (and sometimes scapegoat) of this franchise, but I'm glad we moved on. It's clear he probably wasn't happy the last few years and that probably affected his performance...even if he won't admit it and blames others. It is what it is, he wasn't happy with how he was let go, the franchise wasn't happy with his lack of production vs pay/expectations...there's bound to be some wounds.

 

[Finnish Jerk Train]

It's taken me a few days to put together the things he said, bits and pieces of which seem to be scattered over all corners of the interwebs. It's kind of hard to piece it all together - the biggest thing that stood out to me is that most of it consisted of his typical rambling nonanswers. He was so deliberately vague that there was hardly anything of substance to grab onto.

At any rate, I thought THH's quote may or may not have been a parting shot at his teammates on the ice, but was definitely a swipe at the organization as a whole for not doing a better job of adding players who could help them compete. If so, that's a valid criticism for a lot of his years here. JR was hit and miss; he had a tendency overcommit to the wrong guys and let some good ones walk, and his big-name FA acquisitions usually failed in spectacular fashion. I also came away with the impression that it really started to wear on him over the last couple of years in particular. Of course, if "a couple of years" is to be taken literally, that two-year period coincides with RF taking over and committing to the draft-and-develop philosophy.

Maybe Staal was burned out after watching his team slog through five years of mediocrity and two more years of a rebuild. I can see how that would drag a guy down, but at the same time, a leader has to be able to see the way forward. All of us can see the things that are changing for the better from our armchairs. If he couldn't see it from inside the organization and commit to bringing his best self, it was time for him to go. He thinks he has a few more years of good hockey left in him, as long as he's given significant time in the middle. If that's true, there's no way to defend his failure to bring good hockey to a team that gave him that exact opportunity along with the captaincy.

There's no need for him to place blame, because there's plenty of blame to go around. While he pointed a finger at his old team, the other three fingers pointed back at his failure to lead his troops through the peaks and valleys, his failure to start multiple seasons on time, and his 0.47 point-per-game pace in a contract year in which he made almost $10mm. The whole arrangement was no longer working; both he and the team needed to go in a new direction. Best to just acknowledge that the time had come to move on to the next thing.