Confirmed Signing with Link: [MIN] Eric Staal (3 years, $3.5M AAV)

[frederixx]

I used to like Staal, but doubt he gets more than 40pts.

 

[rynryn]

Weird move for Minnesota... That team needs to get younger and they go get one of the most lacklustre players available.

Very reasonable contract though so full marks there.

well all the full-lustre players were expensive and going for long term, which we couldn't match.
No risk. Hell, there's a chance he's actually worth more than what we're paying him.

 

[Disappointed EP40]

Well done to the Wild - likely the best and most reasonable deal of the day

Naw.


I'd say Hamhuis to Dallas > Staal to Minni


Still a great deal though.

 

[ThatGuy22]

They're searching for a #1C - Staal used to be one. He just needs to be better than Koivu, who's struggling to score 40+ points in his current role while making double what Staal just signed for.

I'm happy about the dollar amount. Wanted to see shorter term. Oh well. Worst case scenario, it's another Dany Heatley / Thomas Vanek experiment.

Another former Captain comes to Minnesota. We've got "leadership" oozing from places I never knew we had.

Koivu literally just led the team in scoring, and hasn't put up less than 40 points since his rookie season.(excluding lockout season).

Staal doesn't need to better than Koivu, nor is he replacing his responsibilities. He just needs to be productive in his own right, so we have more than one productive center.

 

[rynryn]

They're searching for a #1C - Staal used to be one. He just needs to be better than Koivu, who's struggling to score 40+ points in his current role while making double what Staal just signed for.

I'm happy about the dollar amount. Wanted to see shorter term. Oh well. Worst case scenario, it's another Dany Heatley / Thomas Vanek experiment.

Another former Captain comes to Minnesota. We've got "leadership" oozing from places I never knew we had.

struggling to score 40+? the only time he didn't recently was the lockout season. i get your point but that's a pretty crappy sell job.

 

[Golden Gophers 4649]

Not terribly exciting; however, if he can hit 50 points again the value is great.

Sounds like the Wild pretty much dropped out of the Okposo and Backes races last night after they found out what the prices were going to be. Okposo will probably be okay but that Backes contract is an absolute joke.

You can criticize the Wild for signing Vanek but seriously they only went 3 years on a guy who was still only 30. Going 6 years on a 32 year old screams BRIAN ROLSTON all over again!

 

[Tommy]

This seems like a great deal.

 

[ManwithNoIdentity]

At least one of my teams is upgrading.

Can't be said for Detroit....

 

[Carl Carlson]

This looks like a decent deal for Min. Crazy how hard his stock has dropped.

 

[satbank]

Compare to every other UFA this is average. Not long term and not a lot of $$$

 

[agent082]

So Minny finally gave up their hope that Granlund is a NHL center

 

[Lapa]

So Minny finally gave up their hope that Granlund is a NHL center

He's fine at C, but he's better at wing.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

So Minny finally gave up their hope that Granlund is a NHL center

He is an NHL center, but if we have the opportunity to put him where he'll be better, then we'll do that.

He's proven to be a 40 point center; we're hoping that he'll be a 50+ point winger.

 

[Circulartheory]

Wild has always lacked top end talent but had always tried to make for it with 4 productive lines (or at least attempted to).

If Staal can be anywhere from our 1st-3rd line, we are happy. We have Parise, Granlund, Pominville, Coyle, and Nino at the 3 lines, all players who can post 40 pts. In order for ths signing to be good, he just needs to be productive with 1 or 2 of em. That is alot of options

 

[57special]

Paying for reputation here. Or 'intangibles' as they say.

Guy is slower than a turtle.

But is he slower than Vanek?

 

[Hi ImHFNYR]

He was a ghost in NY. Gl but that seems like 3.5 AAV spent on an absolute nothing.

 

[Nsjohnson]

Worst that happens is that Staal puts up 40 points, which is what Vanek and Coyle both put up. All while being a center and having great faceoff stats.

Best scare scenario, he puts up his best season since the lockout and gets 65 points.

Or, splits the difference and puts up 50 points and quietly ties with Koivu for points.


This is a very low risk/high reward move.

 

[behemolari]

sooo Min finally got their 1st C

 

[Man Bear Pig]

He just said he thinks he can get back to top level numbers.

If he really believes that, he'd have signed a 1 year deal on the cheap on a stacked team.

 

[Kimota]

The guy is finished. He should be making 650.

They get rid of Vanek and they bring in Staal?

Minnesota, you have my sympathy,

 

[Autism]

This is a nice deal

 

[FLYLine27*]

If he plays like he did last season, then Wild are going to want this guy on a bus after the first month..he was BRUTAL.

 

[TaLoN]

Very good signing. If he shows ANY resurgence AT ALL his value will be worth more than his salary.

 

[Alberta_OReilly_Fan]

my vote for deal of the day... even if he never returns to 70 point scorer this is still 3rd line money for a 20 plus min per night guy with huge size and very good hands.

 

[Al Lagoon]

The guy is finished. He should be making 650.

They get rid of Vanek and they bring in Staal?

Minnesota, you have my sympathy,

Alors mon vieux,

Vanek couldn't have been more useless last year, apart from occassional moments of, je ne sais quoi.

At nearly half his pay, and with decent center skills, Staal is a win win victoire.