Player Discussion Eric Staal (The Frickin' All-Star)

[Bazeek]

Oh yeah, we trade him at the TDL in 2019 if he isn't signed already, and we get a good offer. I'm assuming that he will be signed before that, though, unless his play falls off or he decides that he wants to test the market. He will be 35 at that time, so I would argue against any deal longer than two years. If he wants an NMC(which is reasonable on a 2 yr. contract for a vet)then we can leverage the amount down a bit.

He has kids and the last thing he probably wants to do is uproot them. For a Canadian from Thunder Bay, Minnesota is about as close to home as he's going to get, and an easy sell.

For some dumb reason I was thinking he'd be younger than that. At 35 yeah, 2 years is better.

 

[2Pair]

I love him, but I think he'll be a valuable trade piece to a playoff team in 2018-19.

Looking at how this season is going, I think we need to trade him + a few other major pieces. We're due for a rehaul.

What other major pieces would you trade?

 

[Minnesota]

What other major pieces would you trade?

Combination of Brodin, Coyle, Dumba (last resort if contract talks become a problem; I think he can be a difference-maker). They're all passengers. The team needs more game-changers like Zucker.

Discussion for a different thread, though.

 

[Al Lagoon]

Top 5 best all-time Wild for me. He really is excellent.

 

[Northerner]

Big man tallying a couple more (so far...) tonight.

 

[Binister]

Top 5 best all-time Wild for me. He really is excellent.

He's good... Very good.

But TOP 5 all time? No way José, not yet.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

He's good... Very good.

But TOP 5 all time? No way José, not yet.

It's not like we have a Murderer's Row or anything.

 

[Al Lagoon]

Without Staal, this is a bottom 5 team.

 

[Wild11MN]

Total stud. Wish we would have had him years ago.

 

[Northerner]

2 more the other night. Big man is just one of those guys who knows how to maximize his skill set and longevity in his NHL career.

 

[nt3005]

I cant imagine what it was like having him in his prime. At the beginning of last season you could see how good he was, and that was on a new team with new linemates and a new coach, and he hasn't slowed down, even with his injury in the playoffs.

 

[57special]

Seems like he is enjoying himself here.

 

[Northerner]

Thunder Bay is right across the border. The Wild are one of a few franchises that are that close to TB.

First tournament I ever played in Canada (I played in a few provinces over the years) was in Thunder Bay. Not surprisingly, great hockey players up there (as usual) like everywhere in Canada.

 

[Bazeek]

Seems like he is enjoying himself here.

Enjoying himself enough to sign another 3x3.5 deal, perhaps?

I can dream.

 

[Northerner]

Now leading the entire Western Conference in multi goal games.

 

[DANOZ28]

Top 5 best all-time Wild for me. He really is excellent.

its pretty sad when your best goal scorer is older gentleman only making 3.5 mill. this team needs to wake the blank up! i wonder how long it will take before staal gets frustrated playing here like he did in carolina?

 

[Northerner]

its pretty sad when your best goal scorer is older gentleman only making 3.5 mill. this team needs to wake the blank up! i wonder how long it will take before staal gets frustrated playing here like he did in carolina?

Wake up? We're like 12-1 at home in our last 13, and we're in the playoffs if the season ended today.


THE...SKY...IS....NOT...FALLING....say it with me...

 

[DANOZ28]

last year we have 266GF #2 rank & 208 or 210GA which i believe was top 5. we arent close to those #'s this year so i say yah we need to wake up.

 

[Uberdachen]

its pretty sad when your best goal scorer is older gentleman only making 3.5 mill. this team needs to wake the blank up! i wonder how long it will take before staal gets frustrated playing here like he did in carolina?

Not to be too glass half-full, but I think it reflects less poorly on other forwards than it does more awesomely on his awesome contract. He sealed that deal by autographing an angel's chest using a unicorn boner. It caused moose to start mating right then right there and elk to start calling 1-800 ASK GARY and quit chronically wasting. Spring came early then was ready again ten minutes later. It saved Bees. Timberwolves. Vikings. Lynx, time travel and more Lynx. All of it. All of it! Due to that contract.

That said, I mean the team does still have a whole bunch of issues. But so far they haven't knocked the team out of contention.

 

[Northerner]

last year we have 266GF #2 rank & 208 or 210GA which i believe was top 5. we arent close to those #'s this year so i say yah we need to wake up.

Okay. But did last season's team do anything? IIR we lost...to St. Louis.


Point is...it really doesn't matter...Nashville was an 8 seed that EASILY could have won that Cup last year - they were right there.

The Wild could win the next dozen games and it won't matter...if we (and particularly Dubs) don't/doesn't have it ALL together come playoff time.



Therefore, I choose to sit back and not go along with the "sky is falling" usual.

 

[57special]

Man, was I ever wrong about Staal. Fletcher outdid himself with that one.

 

[SomethingGeneric]

A very good player on a good contract. Hope he gets an all star nod. He probably deserves it this year.

 

[FVM]

Staal is love. Staal is life. Staal is steel.

 

[tomgilbertfan]

Neat

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

100% fair and deserved. Was worried that Dubnyk was going to be our "token" representative this year.