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

[57special]

Heatley was making 7.25 M/yr. Vanek 6.5M/yr. Pominville 5.6M/yr.

Staal makes 3.5M. We'll be OK. He doesn't have to be a #1C. if he's a borderline 2/3C, or even a 3C, then we'll be fine. Worse comes to worse, he's an overpaid 4C. We can always stick Coyle or Granlund back to C, and EK should be ready in a couple of years.

This might not be a great signing, but people making it out to be anything more than a depth signing are kidding themselves.

 

[dkollidas]

Solid deal for the Wild, term and money are totally reasonable.

 

[TaLoN]

bold one clause in a sentence and only respond to that instead of other points directly addressing your quote?

Just like you ignored my post to put in a point that had anothing to do with what anyone is expecting from Staal at all?

Why even mention 2008 Staal... AT ALL?

Also, not sure how the rest say anything against what I have asked for...

You say 35-40 pts and I say if it can have a small resurgence to 40-50pts, which is 0-10 pts from what you claimed anyway, as if it's something that isn't possible?

 

[Roboturner913]

Just like you ignored my post to put in a point that had anothing to do with what anyone is expecting from Staal at all?

You're the one who said he would play better on the second line/at center in a different situation. I was simply explaining that is not a very likely thing to happen.

You say 35-40 pts and I say if it can have a small resurgence to 40-50pts, which is 0-10 pts from what you claimed anyway, as if it's something that isn't possible?

Absolute best case scenario, he could score 40-50 points with the right linemates if he's put with somebody like Parise and Granlund (or whoever you consider your two best wingers), but he'd mostly be leeching off that line/holding them back/struggling to keep up.

Nobody's saying the guy is worthless but he's a depth guy at this point, thinking he's suddenly going to turn it around and be an effective point producer just because he's happy to be out of Carolina is really delusional.

If I were you I'd be fine with the contract, just don't expect anything more than what he's able to provide at this point in his career. If he were Russian people would view him as one of those lazy, inconsistent, undependable players that the hockey media loves to bash so often.

 

[TaLoN]

You're the one who said he would play better on the second line/at center in a different situation. I was simply explaining that is not a very likely thing to happen.



Absolute best case scenario, he could score 40-50 points with the right linemates if he's put with somebody like Parise and Granlund (or whoever you consider your two best wingers), but he'd mostly be leeching off that line/holding them back/struggling to keep up.

Nobody's saying the guy is worthless but he's a depth guy at this point, thinking he's suddenly going to turn it around and be an effective point producer just because he's happy to be out of Carolina is really delusional.

If I were you I'd be fine with the contract, just don't expect anything more than what he's able to provide at this point in his career. If he were Russian people would view him as one of those lazy, inconsistent, undependable players.

You agree he "can" be a 40-50pt player, then you agree that he might perform slightly better in a better situation for him.

Sounds like we agree overall. We know he's not a savior, and we won't ask him to be. Koivu will absolutely be our top center. Koivu and Granlund will be the anchors on the top line. Wild tend to match top lines which means they have to be defensively stout as well as effective offensively, and those two can get that done.

Parise and Staal along with likely Coyle would focus more on offensive zone starts etc, and Staal would absolutley be second fiddle icetime-wise. When the game is on the line it won't be Staal out there it will be Parise-Koivu-Granlund out there.

We realize why he is paid $3.5AAV, and have no delusions that he will suddenly perform like a $6-7mil AAV player. We're just hoping that "maybe" he can perform a little above that and be a 40-50pt player now that he has better linemates and he "seems" to be more motivated playing in a role he likes on a cap team.

That's all. Nothing unrealistic in any of that. If he can't be that 40-50pt player and he remains the 35-40pt player he's been of late, then that isn't much of a loss since he's already paid like that anyway, and it would just mean Haula gets more opportunity to show his late season surge in play can be sustained.

We're asking for Staal to be an "ok" 2nd line center, but if all we have is a 3rd line center, we're ok with that.

 

[One Winged Angel]

On the question of his being misutilized--the Rangers stopped playing Lindberg--no one knew exactly why when it happened but the answer came after the Rangers were eliminated by the Pens. Lindberg had ****ed up his hip--off season surgery out until November or whenever. Here's one thing I saw with Eric Staal---no chemistry with any of his new teammates and we can say he's not being used right but he got ice time including power play time--he got shuffled around with other players--most of whom were bigger threats to score than either of Stalberg or Lindberg and basically there was zip for production. He'd have one good game and then disappear for the next 6 or 7. He was good on the walls--but he was average on face-offs--123 wins--118 losses. 6 points in 20 games. 16:15 avg. time on ice.

Well my biggest issue was you acquire a guy like Staal where you pay a premium (2 2nds and a pretty decent prospect) and he outright states he prefers playing center an he predominantly plays 3rd line wing. Why are you acquiring this player if you're going to play him there and pay that kind of price? My biggest gripe was not giving him a chance in the top 6 wing for an extended period of time. He was tried with Nash once and that was immediately deserted.

You won't get an argument from me about his tenure here. It was a failure. But what I saw from him in games leads me to believe he can still play and contribute relative to the cap hit he was just signed at. Are you going to get a 50+ point player? I don't think so. But you'll get a player that can contribute in the ways I highlighted in my last post. At $3.5 million, I don't think that's bad at all.

I agree with just about everything said here.

He's definitely lost a step, but he can still be a useful player. Just don't put him in an uptempo system with 2 guys who can't skate that well and expect him to produce. At this price, it's not a bad trade. However, you need to utilize him correctly, unlike the moron that runs the bench for the Rangers, who also misused Keith Yandle and several other players.

 

[Bullrun]

Staal took more shots last year (199) than anybody on the wild except Parise, and that was a career low for him (Staal). Plus he had an abnormally low shot%. Gotta think we'll see at least one bounce back season

He's in a position to outperform the contract with not much downside.

 

[Al Lagoon]

If you geniuses turned your crystal balls to the stock market instead of the hockey rink, why I'll bet you'd all be rich.

 

[57special]

Pleasantly surprised to see that he still has decent wheels. A far cry from Heater and Vanek, formerly great scorers who couldn't move and were giveaway machines in their MN years. My big worry about Staal was that he was physically damaged to the point that he couldn't move, but no sign of that so far. Actually looked frisky on his goal, keeping up with Coyle( who is fast once he gets up a head of steam)and pulling away from Wheeler( who was probably tired/ disinterested) on an end to end rush.

It was noted that he was winning the grueling skating races Boudreau put the Wild roster through in training camp, which was kind of surprising. I don't expect him to be beating Zucker and Haula out anytime soon, but even the fact I am talking about it is a promising sign for the Wild. Besides his speed, he is playing a smart, responsible game. Hope it continues.

 

[gwh]

Staal looks like a fantastic value signing at 3.5mil. Definitely not over the hill based on the first 2 games.

 

[Sens]

Nice to see him doing well