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

[PetterssonSimp]

Minny decided to just forgo the Edmonton trade and just go with Staal ?

 

[rynryn]

Minny decided to just forgo the Edmonton trade and just go with Staal ?

For now. So yeah we have Staal and Dumba for less than what RNH costs. Lets see what the $/point comparison says at the end of the season. Never mind the lunacy that had some people thinking we should add Granlund.

 

[TaLoN]

For now. So yeah we have Staal and Dumba for less than what RNH costs. Lets see what the $/point comparison says at the end of the season. Never mind the lunacy that had some people thinking we should add Granlund.

Also gives time for JEE and Kunin to possibly grow into that role instead.

 

[grN1g]

Staals deal > Neilsen > Lucic > Okposo > Backes.

1st or 2nd best deal of the day, hate all you want but our team is still better than your young team that cannot crack a spot in the playoffs.

[MOD]

 

[Steddy33]

Staals deal > Neilsen > Lucic > Okposo > Backes.

1st or 2nd best deal of the day, hate all you want but our team is still better than your young team that cannot crack a spot in the playoffs.

Um no it's not the best deal of the day or the second or the fourth. Just because Staal was cheap doesn't mean he can play he's washed up.

And who cares if you can make the playoffs. It's about winning a cup and you have no chance at that with your current core

 

[Kimota]

Staals deal > Neilsen > Lucic > Okposo > Backes.

1st or 2nd best deal of the day, hate all you want but our team is still better than your young team that cannot crack a spot in the playoffs.

[MOD]

All these guys can play hockey. Staal cannot anymore.

 

[mgd525]

Staal doesn't look like he has anything left.

 

[Nharris31]

Um no it's not the best deal of the day or the second or the fourth. Just because Staal was cheap doesn't mean he can play he's washed up.

And who cares if you can make the playoffs. It's about winning a cup and you have no chance at that with your current core

If he was washed up he wouldn't be able to drive posession the way he does.

 

[TaLoN]

Staal doesn't look like he has anything left.

The Wild aren't going to ask him to play a position he never played in his career like the Rangers did. He's a center through and through and that's where he plays his best.

In Carolina, he got frustrated by the losing ways and lack of talent. He'll be playing with more talent in MN as a center than he has played with in years.

He will have a bit of a resurgence, even if he isn't the player he once was... he'll still be likely worth more than he's getting paid.

 

[grN1g]

Staal doesn't look like he has anything left.

Rather bet on staal and his fair deal than some of the atrocious contracts handed out today.

 

[mgd525]

Rather bet on staal and his fair deal than some of the atrocious contracts handed out today.

I'm not trying to be a hater or anything. I just remember watching Staal in the playoffs going omg what is wrong with that guy. Hopefully he can find a first step again next year. You are correct on some of the contracts given out today though... Like wtf bad.

 

[Steddy33]

If Staal comes out and looks half the player he was in his prime and puts up around 50 points, it's a great deal. But honestly he looks completely washed up.

 

[State of Hockey]

If Staal is washed up like he was last year, this is going to be another free agent mistake by the Wild. Three years is risky. Two would have been much better.

 

[tarheelhockey]

The Wild aren't going to ask him to play a position he never played in his career like the Rangers did. He's a center through and through and that's where he plays his best.

Say what? Staal regularly played LW as his career with the Hurricanes wound down. He also played it early in his career.

The reason he moved to LW was that he couldn't keep up as a center anymore. He lacked the footspeed to follow the play up and down the ice, and frankly he didn't have the try-hard attitude to chase the play once he was behind. Moving him to LW contained the damage he could do defensively and took away the onus to lead rushes which he is now also unable to do.

As stated upthread, if you want him at C on the power play and maybe the 3rd line, that's one thing. But you're in for an unpleasant surprise if you seriously think he's going to thrive playing in a top-6 center spot. He isn't that player any more, and hasn't been for a while now.

In Carolina, he got frustrated by the losing ways and lack of talent.

Uh... OK. That explains everything, glad we have inside analysts embedded in the locker room to give us this level of insight.

Thankfully all he needs to turn it around is to go to a franchise with a long winning history and loads of elite talent, which explains why he signed with the Wild.

 

[Nsjohnson]

Say what? Staal regularly played LW as his career with the Hurricanes wound down. He also played it early in his career.

The reason he moved to LW was that he couldn't keep up as a center anymore. He lacked the footspeed to follow the play up and down the ice, and frankly he didn't have the try-hard attitude to chase the play once he was behind. Moving him to LW contained the damage he could do defensively and took away the onus to lead rushes which he is now also unable to do.

As stated upthread, if you want him at C on the power play and maybe the 3rd line, that's one thing. But you're in for an unpleasant surprise if you seriously think he's going to thrive playing in a top-6 center spot. He isn't that player any more, and hasn't been for a while now.



Uh... OK. That explains everything, glad we have inside analysts embedded in the locker room to give us this level of insight.

Thankfully all he needs to turn it around is to go to a franchise with a long winning history and loads of elite talent, which explains why he signed with the Wild.

Staal said that on record today.

 

[Joe Sakic]

"Lol he's garbage at 5-8 mill, wow embarrassing Minny" - HF 12-20

"Compared to other players at this cap hit, prior accolades, and integrating my 'common knowledge' this is a good deal for Minnesota" - HF 21-x

 

[TaLoN]

Uh... OK. That explains everything, glad we have inside analysts embedded in the locker room to give us this level of insight.

Thankfully all he needs to turn it around is to go to a franchise with a long winning history and loads of elite talent, which explains why he signed with the Wild.

http://www.startribune.com/wild-signs-eric-staal-to-potentially-center-zach-parise-s-line/385279541/

Staal admits the past few years in Raleigh, where he won a Stanley Cup in 2006, wore on him because the Hurricanes were a rebuilding, budget team.

“I look forward to having fun playing the game again,” Staal said. “I’m super excited.”

http://www.startribune.com/wild-signs-center-eric-staal-right-wing-chris-stewart-goalie-alex-stalock/385219321/

What went wrong in Carolina? It's just a different market, Carolina. They're not a cap team. They're in a different time. They're going with youth, younger players, there were just a lot of different things. And missing the playoffs as many years as we had in a row, we were very close a couple of years, but in the cap world, and the way the game is now, you just need more. You need extra help. Sometimes it just didn't feel like they were able to do some of those things, and it made it difficult. It started to wear, and it was tough, and last year they had a lot of younger players that were taking steps, and then for me, I needed the opportunity to get back to the playoffs, and moved on. Now I'm here in this opportunity, and like I said, enjoying going to a team that's already very competitive, and expecting to be very competitive, and to be in that environment and be excited about it is one of those things that I'm looking forward to.

Here's a quote from Boudreau in that same article after he talked with Staal.

Staal still top-6 forward or reclamation: I think a lot of things just went wrong. I don’t think he liked playing left wing. I think he’s the kind of the guy that wants the puck in the middle and wants to handle it and play with it. He wants to be the guy. In Carolina, they didn’t have guys like Parise and Coyle to play with either. They were young guys that are going to be good, but at that time, they weren’t the players he was used to playing with 10 years ago and eight years ago and six years ago. When I talked to him on Wednesday night, I thought he was so excited about the opportunity. It didn’t have much to do with money or any of that. He wanted the opportunity to be the Eric Staal that he was in the past. And I told him he would definitely get that chance here.

Summary? He was frustrated with the team situation and the position he was being asked to play. Surprise, a frustrated player's performance dropped.

 

[nazzy_012]

From a Canucks fan,

This seems to be the best deal of the day...guy is a shadow of his former self but a shadow of a 100 point guy is still someone I'd have on my team....he's the exact same age/player/skill set as brad Richards when he went to New York for half the money on half the term...

Can't see how this deal backfires in the slightest

 

[tarheelhockey]

Summary? He was frustrated with the team situation and the position he was being asked to play. Surprise, a frustrated player's performance dropped.

I'm sure he was frustrated at times, but that has nothing to do with his performance falloff. He played well for years while they were losing. Then suddenly he played a LOT worse.

Then he went to New York... a cap team... with lots of talent... in the playoffs. Did he suddenly get a second wind and show that he still had that old spark? No, he played exactly the same way for the Rangers that he had played for the Hurricanes for a long time.

Again, all you need to do is watch the guy skate. He doesn't have the physical tools that made him such a threat. He's being paid $3.5 million for a reason... he's a $3.5 million caliber player.

Edit: in that interview he describes himself as a "200 foot player" with "the same work ethic and drive" as Zach Parise. Holy ****. You'll soon see how delusional of a statement that is.

 

[TaLoN]

I get the sense he's more motivated of a player with the opportunity he's being given here.

He was played as a 3rd liner at a position he didn't like to play when he was in NY, not exactly a motivational situation for him.

He'll be in the top 6 here playing a position he enjoys with more talented players with him on his line.

I'm not saying he's going to be the old elite Staal... nobody is claiming that, but he can absolutely be a 50pt 2nd line center. If he washes out on that, no big deal because this is a low risk contract.

 

[TwiztedHeat]

Um no it's not the best deal of the day or the second or the fourth. Just because Staal was cheap doesn't mean he can play he's washed up.

And who cares if you can make the playoffs. It's about winning a cup and you have no chance at that with your current core

Everyone, phone up the league and let them know it's official. This guy said the Wild can't win a cup. Let the league know the Wild won't be playing in the NHL any longer since this guy said they couldn't win a cup.

Seriously though, saying this makes you sound like a jilted lover. $3.5 mil to be a 35-50pt #2/3 C is just fine for the 3 year term. He wins FOs and drives possession. He'll be playing with Parise as well. You can choose to see it as what it is or twist reality to fit your MO, but the fact remains it's a good move for MIN and YES it does help them in the run for a cup.

 

[tony d]

I've always liked staal but he's a shadow of his former self, The Wild should have given him a 1 year deal to prove himself again.

 

[Beville]

Truth be told, Staal has cashed in well here...

Hopefully his performance will be at least, mediocre.

 

[57special]

Mediocre signing that won't break the bank. After struggling through Heatley's and Vanek's contracts, paying out 3.5M/yr. for 3 years is not concerning. Only way it really bites MN in the butt is if he is injured a lot, or he proves to be incapable of being a decent 3C. If, as some have said, he will be a 2/3C who can center the PP ( not Koivu's strength), has good size, and be good on FO's then I'm ok with it.

Of course he has declined. Does anyone in their right mind expect to pay 3.5M with low term for a #1C? That's 3C money.

It's not like the Wild have mortgaged their future on this guy. I don't get what some other teams have done, like Boston. Why not just pay Ericsson( even though they should have traded him at the TDL)? Do they really need another C? Unless they are planning to trade one of their C's for a Dman that move makes no sense to me. An aging team with two elite C's and another young one in Spooner, lacking D...let's sign a 32 yo C for 5 years in FA!

Nowadays, 3.5M buys you about 35 pts./ yr on the FA market. As long as he isn't bad defensively, anyway.

This signing will give Haula a chance to shine. If he plays as well as he did in the last half of last year, he can grab the #2C spot, not that the lines are that clearly defined on the Wild. Quite a jump from being 4C/benched/ in Yeo's doghouse.

 

[rynryn]

I'm well pleased with this signing and I think there's little real risk considering how many players we have that can play C (if not all that well).

The people who think this is a bad deal have neglected to mention the one thing that worries me about Staal's drop off. If it was frustration that caused the drop, then what happens here if BB is shaking things up and Staal loses his spot with Parise? Is it unmotivated Staal all over again? or will he be a Stewart who will be happy about playing any role.

I don't think it'll be much of a problem, but who knows. Still pretty low risk. I have a feeling in three years we'll feel better about this than some of the teams who have signed 5 or 7 year deals with the big names.