Two years ago, when the New York Rangers acquired the face and captain of the Carolina Hurricanes, it wasn’t universally regarded as a good move. Staal had scored just 33 points in 63 games with Carolina that season, and looked like his career was rapidly trending down. Head coach Alain Vigneault had to somewhat sell the move to the Rangers faithful, explaining to Sports Illustrated and the Associated Press what he thought Staal brought to the hockey club.
The fact that he can play in the middle, play on the left side, has won a Cup, has won a world championship, has won an Olympic medal, you’re talking about an elite player that’s been captain of his team, (and he) is going to bring that leadership to our group. He’s going to fit in real well.
The Rangers had paid two second-round picks and a prospect for Staal, who was supposed to put them over the hump and get them back to the Stanley Cup Finals. Fans were worried though, as Staal looked like a shadow of the player who had raised the Cup with Carolina a decade prior, that 21-year old superstar who posted 28 points in 25 games to bring the franchise their first championship. Staal just wasn’t built for the speedy new NHL, and had seen his impact decline drastically. As it turns out, those fears were warranted.
Staal scored just six points in the 20 games after the trade deadline, and then was a complete no-show in the playoffs. The Rangers would bow out in five games against the Pittsburgh Penguins, in which Staal registered zero points and was a team-worst -7. He generated just seven shots on goal despite playing more than 16 minutes per night. As a pending unrestricted free agent, his time was over in New York.
When it came to free agency, Staal’s market was incredibly clouded. It wasn’t clear at all if anyone would be willing to give him a long-term contract, and even more doubtful that he could secure a top-line salary like he’d earned for years in Carolina. In PHR’s inaugural Free Agent Power Rankings, we listed Staal as #13 because of his history in the league, but behind players like Mikkel Boedker and Alex Goligoski. A huge fall for a player who was once one of the very best in the entire league. As it happens, there would be at least one team who offered him a three-year deal.
Staal signed a three-year, $10.5MM deal with Minnesota on July 1st, and the mission to reclaim his spot at the top of the league was on. Minnesota would surprise much of the league in 2016-17 by taking a 19-point leap in the standings to post a franchise-best 106 on the season. That came in only behind Chicago in the Western Conference, and some of that success had to be directly tied to Staal’s performance. In all 82 games, Staal posted 65 points including 28 goals, his highest total since 2010-11. He was second on the Wild in scoring only behind the breakout Mikael Granlund, and suddenly looked like one of the best contracts in the NHL.
Despite that strong first impression with Minnesota, some questioned whether he’d be able to do it again since he was turning 33 and had just posted the second-highest shooting percentage of his career. He’s put an end to all of those questions with 64 points through 63 games, and just recently winning the league’s player of the month honors. Not only is he on pace for his best season in a decade, but he’s taken over as Minnesota’s top point producer, and looks like the elite center of his youth. His Hall of Fame potential is back on track, and his contract is arguably the best free agent signing in years.
That brings us to the question of whether he’s extended this summer. After July 1st the Wild could potentially sign an extension with Staal, one that could keep him in Minnesota for the remainder of his career. Though the two sides haven’t really discussed that possibility publicly, that doesn’t mean they both aren’t thinking about what approach to take when negotiations do pop up. For the Wild, bringing Staal back after 2018-19 can make a lot of sense, but they have a complicated salary structure to maintain, especially with new contracts for Jason Zucker and Mathew Dumba due this summer. If Stall is looking for more salary for his age-35 and beyond seasons, he might be too expensive to retain.
Regardless, what has happened over the last two years has been nothing short of amazing for Staal. After looking like he was on his way out of the NHL, to creeping into the Hart Trophy race at the age of 33, is a testament to his skill. Signing him for three seasons at a ridiculously low price, is one for the Minnesota front office.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Picked up this guy in my pool who was a FA. How the hell that happened i’ll never know.