Jordan Staal's Homecoming

[jmelm]

Anyone know the sniper from the movie Ronin?

 

[Captain Hook]

The fans cheered for him loudly after the trade was announced when Shero was thanking him for his time with the team etc. That was a different setting but I don't think fans have any real hate for him like they did with Hossa, Jagr and some others.

I think he left for an understandable reason. He simply outgrew his role here. I think the overwhelming majority of fans get that but they'll still be a few dicks that boo him anyway.

 

[Burgs]

Boo Jordan Staal? What? He left to play with his brother, and in a bigger role, and he handled it as amiably as possible. We got a good return for him... and one of the most important goals in Pens history from him:

 

[Jesus Vitale]

if i wasn't poor as heck and could afford to go to games. i'd cheer for him. he was my second favorite Penguin after Orpik. He did nothing wrong as a Penguin and he didn't even handle his desire to leave pittsburgh and be 3rd fiddle to Crosby and Malkin poorly. played his heart out his final season. plenty of guys leave organizations for others. nothing personal.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

It's not just Pouliot. It's also Sutter. So we would have lost Staal for free after a 48 game season. Instead we have Sutter and Pouliot and we only lose him for a short season.

I... couldn't be more happier.

As one pointed out Dumoulin as well. AND several million in cap space.

Staal was gone at the end of this year. Everyone knew that when he did not sign the extension, hence the cheer at the arena when the trade was announced. Given that knowledge we got a surprisingly good return. Another if. IF the Pens had drafted Forsberg everyone would be giddy right now. Only time will tell who is right, but only the drafting of DP rained on the positive of that trade. And that seems to be almost a universal opinion.

 

[Malkin4Top6Wingerz]

Boo Jordan Staal? What? He left to play with his brother, and in a bigger role, and he handled it as amiably as possible. We got a good return for him... and one of the most important goals in Pens history from him:

Haven't seen that video in so long, I almost teared up just now. Perhaps the greatest goal I've ever witnessed live.

 

[LetangInTheSO]

Boo Jordan Staal? What? He left to play with his brother, and in a bigger role, and he handled it as amiably as possible. We got a good return for him... and one of the most important goals in Pens history from him:

Personal story. I've cheered for the Penguins my entire life. In the mid 90s (when I was only 6 or 7 years old), I made my father promise me that if the Penguins ever got back to the finals, we'd go to a game together. 08 comes, and my father backs out, saying that he doesn't care about hockey and that he doesn't want to fly from Vancouver to Pittsburgh for a hockey game. I was devastated. In 09, when we make it again, I tell him that I'm going to a Finals game with or without him. He agrees to come. Before game 1, we secure tickets for game 4. After going down 2-0 in the series, my dad gives me **** for all the $ we've burned on flights and tickets for what will surely be "another lost Cup." Game 3 gives us hope, but it's still looking an awful lot like a replay of 08. Until this moment in Game 4, the series looked destined to go the Wings' way. Jordan scores that goal, my dad and I look at one another and say, "maybe this series will be different." The rest was history!!

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

Boo Jordan Staal? What? He left to play with his brother, and in a bigger role, and he handled it as amiably as possible. We got a good return for him... and one of the most important goals in Pens history from him:

I forgot how sick that goal was...wow.

As for my answer to the question at hand, I'll cheer him primarily for this reason. As for him wanting to play a bigger role and be on a team with his brother, those are two totally understandable reasons for his depature as well IMO. Even for those I don't blame him one bit. Sure he might not have have as much success as a Cane as he may have if he stayed in the Burgh, but if playing with his brother and filling a bigger role make him happy...go for it I say. Plus he already has a Cup ring and even if he never wins another Cup again, at least we can look back years from now with a smile, happy memories, and know that the one Cup he did win....was with us.

All in all, there came a time that one day we knew that we'd have to let go of one of either Sid, Geno, MAF, or Staal. And personally I'd rather give up Staal then any of the other 3.

 

[Malkin4Top6Wingerz]

I forgot how sick that goal was...wow.

As for my answer to the question at hand, I'll cheer him primarily for this reason. As for him wanting to play a bigger role and be on a team with his brother, those are two totally understandable reasons for his depature as well IMO. Even for those I don't blame him one bit. Sure he might not have have as much success as a Cane as he may have if he stayed in the Burgh, but if playing with his brother and filling a bigger role make him happy...go for it I say. Plus he already has a Cup ring and even if he never wins another Cup again, at least we can look back years from now with a smile, happy memories, and know that the one Cup he did win....was with us.

All in all, there came a time that one day we knew that we'd have to let go of one of either Sid, Geno, MAF, or Staal. And personally I'd rather give up Staal then any of the other 3.

Meh. MAF isn't nearly as valuable as those three, but that's for another thread.

 

[Krom]

He was cheered when he wore the Pens jersey, was paid well, had opportunities for success, and was offered a terrific contract which he turned down. The team and fans don't really owe him any more. I suspect there will be polite applause for him and that's ok. After that he should be treated with indifference.

He had every right to choose his own future and I have no problem with it. He's just an ex-Pen now.

I suspect most Pens fans will get a little satisfaction if he underperforms for the Canes. That's ok too.

 

[wtbipyo]

Cheered for sure.

I'd rather have Staal than the return we got for him...but it is what it is.

Staal-Crosby-Dupuis
Kunitz-Malkin-Neal
Cooke-Jeffrey-Kennedy
Glass-Vitale-Adams

Yes please. I reeeeeally hope Pouliot makes me eat my words...but I still think he was a mistake given the gaps we have and our prospect pool.

You know that Dumoulin guy is pretty good...

Two game winning goals in two games.

 

[Ogrezilla]

He was cheered when he wore the Pens jersey, was paid well, had opportunities for success, and was offered a terrific contract which he turned down. The team and fans don't really owe him any more. I suspect there will be polite applause for him and that's ok. After that he should be treated with indifference.

He had every right to choose his own future and I have no problem with it. He's just an ex-Pen now.

I suspect most Pens fans will get a little satisfaction if he underperforms for the Canes. That's ok too.

a clip of that short handed goal will play on the big screen at some point during a TV timeout and everyone in that place will be on their feet.

 

[Ozz]

No boos from me

 

[Dying Alive]

Most likely he'll get the same treatment as anyone else on the Cup team who has signed elsewhere & returned. Early in the game the Pens will throw a highlight package of his time here up on the Jumbotron which will end with a shot of him raising the cup in a Pens sweater. The crowd will go insane, give him a standing ovation, and then go back to either polite applause, scattered boos, or complete ambivalence depending on their personal feelings about him.

I honestly can't think of a single Cup team player who has had their first return go any differently than that. I'd say Gonchar got a bit more applause than the rest, but that's about it.

 

[Scandale du Jour]

Haven't changed my username for a good reason: I still love the guy. He was great for us and he was instrumental in getting us a Cup. Sucks that he decided to leave to play with his brother, but at least he made his feelings clear from the get go and it enable Shero to get the best deal possible. He could very well have played out his contract and join the Canes as a UFA. Many players do that, he didn't.

So, in essence, he got us a Cup, he was honest with management about his desire to play in Carolina and because of that, we got a nice return. No way I would boo this guy, quite the contrary, he deserves a nice standing O. That shorthanded goal in 09 will be in my memory forever.

 

[Jag68Sid87]

Way too much is made whenever a player gets dealt. Boo, cheer. Do whatever you feel like doing. This is pro sports. Us versus them. If "us" still includes Jordan Staal, you cheer. If he's now officially "them", you boo. If none of this really matters to you, you don't do anything.

This is a bit like the dissection stupid baseball writers are now doing with HOF voting. Looking for every little piece of minutia to make a decision on somebody.

Jordan Staal was a tremendous Penguin. We don't win the Cup without him, as everybody knows. We offered him the same money to stay. He wanted to go. As one of Jordan Staal's biggest fans on this board, I sincerely hope we destroy Carolina every time we play them (this season and beyond). That's just how I feel about the situation. But everybody's different and we all have different feelings on the matter. Cool with me.

 

[alcanalz]

He'll be cheered for sure and deservedly so. Gonna miss you Gronk.

 

[SEALBound]

It's not just Pouliot. It's also Sutter. So we would have lost Staal for free after a 48 game season. Instead we have Sutter and Pouliot and we only lose him for a short season.

I... couldn't be more happier.

No, I was operating under the assumption with those lines that Staal signed the $60/10yr deal we offered him.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I'm pretty pleased that Staal didn't sign off on the near-ludicrous contract Shero offered him. Especially considering all of the other important re-signings this team had/has on the horizon.

So yeah... hypothetically if I were there I'd give him a little golf clap, I guess. I'm not so sure about all of this uproarious standing ovation for our erstwhile hero stuff, though.

 

[wgknestrick]

I also wonder if people still think Staal was a bust. He really is turning into a great player. I wonder what people think nowadays. I don't think we win the 2009 Stanley Cup without him. But even a couple years ago - people were *****ing he was a bust.

Staal certainly isn't a bust, but he was not deserving of the #2 pick. Not his fault he was picked in front of better players. He has turned out just as most thought he would, given his "sub-elite" scoring in Juniors while playing great D. Towes, Backstrom, and probably Kessel are all better players IMO. At least Shero didn't take Johnson with the #1. That is even more of a bad pick.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

A more interesting question.

Deep down inside where you do not put politically correct answers to paper do you hope that he does well, or falls flat on his face in Carolina? Do trades that are win win make you feel as good as trades where you can say your team came out ahead? I wonder if Carolina fans are secretly hoping that our worst DP fears are true and that it was a wasted 8th overall.

 

[WickedWrister]

I might give a modest clap or three but I'm not going to be cheering my head off for the guy. He was offered a nice contract and he declined. He didn't want to be part of this organization anymore

 

[Ogrezilla]

I might give a modest clap or three but I'm not going to be cheering my head off for the guy. He was offered a nice contract and he declined. He didn't want to be part of this organization anymore

I really think there is a big difference between wanting to play a bigger role on a team with his brother and not wanting to be a part of this organization anymore.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

That's true. But I understand where he's coming from.

Staal could have made it much clearer much earlier that he wasn't interested in sticking around for the long term to help Shero out a little bit. The team is incredibly lucky to have gotten good value for him from Carolina.

 

[Ogrezilla]

That's true. But I understand where he's coming from.

Staal could have made it much clearer much earlier that he wasn't interested in sticking around for the long term to help Shero out a little bit. The team is incredibly lucky to have gotten good value for him from Carolina.

how early do you think he had made up his mind about what he wanted to do? My guess is he did it when they pretty much told him he had to. Hell, Sidney Crosby was on the sideline with what could have been a career ending injury. That would have certainly changed the whole situation pretty dramatically.