Another Staal is on the move. Ten days after oldest brother Eric Staal was traded by the Minnesota Wild to the Buffalo Sabres, Marc Staal has been dealt to the Detroit Red Wings by the New York Rangers. Both teams have confirmed the trade, which will see Staal and a 2021 second-round pick go to Detroit in exchange for future considerations. This is a pure salary cap dump by the Rangers, who do not retain any salary in the trade.
Staal, 33, has only ever played for the Rangers after the team used the 12th overall pick to select him in 2005. While Staal has been a long-time stalwart for New York and even an All-Star at one point, his game has been on the decline for some time. Entering the final season of a six-year, $34.2MM contract, the Rangers have been trying to move Staal and his $5.7MM cap hit and have finally succeeded. It comes at the cost of a second-round draft pick, but will give the team much-needed flexibility to re-sign restricted free agent defenseman Anthony DeAngelo, a protégé of Staal’s, as well as RFA forwards Ryan Strome and Brendan Lemieux while maintaining the ability to improve elsewhere in free agency.
As for Detroit, this could merely be the beginning of GM Steve Yzerman weaponizing his cap space. The rebuilding Red Wings have several of their own restricted free agents to sign this off-season, but have more than enough room to work with given their projected $27.4MM in cap space. This allows Yzerman to essentially buy a high draft pick by taking on Staal’s contract, which counts for $5.7MM against the cap but is worth only $3.2MM in real dollars. Detroit now has three second-round picks in 2021 and 12 picks in the first three rounds over the next two drafts, with more surely on the way.
The one remaining question in this deal (other than the future considerations of course) is whether Staal actually plays for Detroit or not. While the young Red Wings could use his veteran presence, they already have Danny DeKeyser, Patrik Nemeth, and Dennis Cholowski on the left side and are expected to be a top suitor for UFA Torey Krug. This deal was about the second-rounder more than it was Staal, so the team could opt to buy out the remaining year of his contract and make him a free agent. Such a move would save the team just over $1MM in real dollars and over $2MM against the cap this year, with a cap penalty of about $1MM being tacked on in 2021-22. Detroit could also opt not to buy out Staal, but explore trading him with salary retained to try to recoup even more draft capital. Or Staal could simply play out his final season in Detroit. Only time will tell in this unpredictable off-season.
Hate to give up a 2nd, but the Rangers desperately needed that cap flexibility. Still wouldn’t be shocked to see Smith or Lundqvist be bought out.
Thank you Staal for all those years in NY. We wouldn’t have been as good as we were at times in the last couple years without you. Good luck in Detroit!
Hmmm so a second round pick costs around 3.2 million dollars. Wonder how many dumps are going to bring back first rounders.
Patrick Marleau 6.66 million
Marleau was only 4.25 cost to the Canes
hopefully this means Fast will be back. A guy like Pietrangelo or Hjalmersson would be great for this offensively gifted back end that just is way too raw defensively and will limit their playoff chances.
GM of the year. Great trade for the Rangers!
Wings get a veteran on a 1 year deal OR buy him out for 2MM and still get a second RD pick. I would say both teams won this trade.
Wings get that puck but the Rangers have been looking to move Staal for the past couple of years. He’s been bad. And not they won’t have to buy him out and can use it on someone else, thus opening cap room for a Strome resign.
One trade makes I’m GM if the year. Might want to wait and see how next season unfolds
Him I mean.
There was some sarcasm in the comment, but to dump that contract, even if it was for a year, opens up the door for cap room to resign Strome and D’Angelo. That’s a lot of money to spend for a second round draft pick.
OH OH OH OH OH
Good move Staal can’t move anymore. Plus Brady S was also a good move. I would sign Tony D but not for huge money and maybe bring back Strome on a 2 yr deal.
Tony is close to elite. He won’t get paid like Trouba, but he’s gonna get paid. Made a huge jump this year, and I don’t think he’s done yet.
So they’ve moved Staal and Skjei contracts, lost a 2nd and got a 1st from it. Davidson is killing it!
Just a question would GM Jeff Gordon be trying to be making a move on OEL from Arizona… I know he has guys to sign but would make that d-core much much better….
Marc Staal is a fart in the wind.