Speculation: Could Eric Staal be on Canadiens' radar?

[Mike8]

Ask Edmonton how that's working out.

Seems to me EDM has more depth than it has 75+ centers, since it has none of the latter.

 

[yoyo999]

Some of you honnestly think David Desharnais will net you Eric Staal?..... c'mon. You're all the same people the thought Louis Leblanc will be an effective NHL'er. What was his value? a 5th round pick....maybe.....They couldn't give him away.

A first rounder in 2015 is a good start, but Marc Bergevin doesn't trade future first round picks. I remember Eliott Friedman saying a story that Chicago was in the hunt for Chris Pronger and Anaheim wanted a 1st rounder. That was the pick that got them Patrick Kane, so Bergevin doesn't trade early picks after that experience.

If Carolina gives up Eric Staal they're giving up their first line centre and franchise player. They'll likely want a franchise player back and a centre at that.

Think Alex Galchenyuk.

Pass. if Eric Staal wants to come to Montreal he can vacation.

 

[Tabarouette]

60-70 points with the carolina hurricanes is probably 80-90 points on an above average/decent team

people said that about Rick Nash for years "oh 70 points with the jackets is worth like 100 with any other team", that's garbage

 

[Tarasenko]

Eric Staal is one of the most consistent player in the league, by far.

 

[Mike8]

I agree. You don't give up superstar players, you build around them.

That being said, Staal isn't going to be there for when Carolina contends for their next cup. They could try to do something with him and rebuild. Problem is that the fan base is small already and if you trade him away...

Turn arounds in this league can be pretty quick. I know you're an advocate (to put it mildly) of building through the draft, but that's not a pre-requisite for contention.

The Canes have some good foundation pieces to build a good team. Some shrewd management can make use of those pieces, good cap space, and being a 'non contention threat' to acquire a few more foundation pieces then build up the depth thereafter. Seguin, Spezza, Kessel, Parise, Suter, Burns, Nash, JVR, Ehrhoff, Stastny, Pominville, Neal, Voracek, Carter, Vanek, Kesler, Campbell are all front line talents that have been moved over the last few years. That's a fair amount of top line talent. It's tough if you're a contender, or otherwise pressed to the cap, to obtain any of those players. That rules out the vast majority of clubs.

Bubble teams not pressed to the cap, or bottom dwellers are in prime positions to pick up those players. In fact, 13 of those 17 players went to bubble clubs/bottom dwellers.

Carolina picks up two players that are front line talents (not necessarily marquee players, or stars, or catalysts, but high end talent that can be first line) -- and they're suddenly pretty solid. Add in some smart moves to get the right depth players, and they're good to go to contend. Sure, I'm simplifying it, but smart management teams can take a core like Carolina's and turn it into a contender in the East, IMO.

 

[Fazkovsky]

people said that about Rick Nash for years "oh 70 points with the jackets is worth like 100 with any other team", that's garbage

Staal is a center, Nash isn't. Nash is having a great start of season so we never know. When you are a center it's important to have wingers. Plekanec becomes better with skilled players. A good example can be 20110-12 where staal had 76 points and the second leading scorer was jokinen at 46 points. It shows you how Staal does business on the ice. Last year, besides Skinner no one on the canes was able to have a good season.

 

[Sterling Archer]

was over PPG in 12/13, has been below the 70 pts mark only once (outside his rookie year) in his whole career, and he's 29 by the way - not closing on 40 or something...

So 53 points in 48 games (lock-out) doesn't count?
He's also a proven playoffs performer (43 in 43).

Would he be better if he was playing somewhere else? Hard to tell, but one can suspect he's not giving everything he got on every shifts while playing for a lottery team.

You both mention the lockout year as being a PPG. And no, I don't count a half a season as counting.

Besides that he was a consistent 70 goal scorer until last year when he barely broke 60 pts. He's not getting any younger and again, he has a lot of hard miles on him as he's been in the league for 11 years already.

All I'm saying is that's a lot of money for a guy who hasn't been relevant for a few years now and has his best years behind him. Very few players cam all of a sudden flip a switch and be better than they were. If your going to get a 60-70 point guy at $8M, I wouldn't break the bank. Frankly, I think that's something Galchenyuk can do for us in a couple of years for a lot less and a lot longer period of time.

 

[vokiel]

Came from Darren Dreger who suppose to be fairly reliable. He said Leafs tried to get Staal over the summer. He did say it was a big "if" he becomes available. So, does sound like he is splicing together things.

Canes do fall out of it I can imagine they be interested in McDavid. Probably not a Gretzky or Lemieux caliber but say a Lafleur or Crosby type. With Staal doubt they be bad enough to get him.

Yes he's the idiot I'm referring to. You know what a real journalist ( Pierre Lebrun ) did after that? He actually called the Hurricanes front office to ask them about it and they pretty much said there was no way Staal was on the market. So please stop giving Dreger the attention he's whoring for. The guy is almost on par with Eklund to me nowadays.

 

[CupInSIX]

Seems to me EDM has more depth than it has 75+ centers, since it has none of the latter.

RNH can be a PPG player in this league. He was almost one in his rookie season.

 

[Mike8]

RNH can be a PPG player in this league. He was almost one in his rookie season.

Sure. And since then he's put up 80 points in 120 games. Having the potential to do something is different than doing it. If he was actually scoring at a 75-point clip, the Oilers would be better.

Regardless, the point was that 75-point centremen are infinitely more valuable than depth. The Oilers' bad management doesn't factor into this point.

 

[CupInSIX]

Sure. And since then he's put up 80 points in 120 games. Having the potential to do something is different than doing it. If he was actually scoring at a 75-point clip, the Oilers would be better.

Regardless, the point was that 75-point centremen are infinitely more valuable than depth. The Oilers' bad management doesn't factor into this point.

Hall's 80 points did not make them a better club, nor did Eberle's 70+ point season. That's the gist of what I was getting at.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Ask Edmonton how that's working out.

A superstar player can't overcome a bad team. Lemieux couldn't do it. Yzerman couldn't do it. Neither could Sakic.

You need more than a superstar to win. But a superstar is a good place to start.

Turn arounds in this league can be pretty quick. I know you're an advocate (to put it mildly) of building through the draft, but that's not a pre-requisite for contention.

The Canes have some good foundation pieces to build a good team. Some shrewd management can make use of those pieces, good cap space, and being a 'non contention threat' to acquire a few more foundation pieces then build up the depth thereafter. Seguin, Spezza, Kessel, Parise, Suter, Burns, Nash, JVR, Ehrhoff, Stastny, Pominville, Neal, Voracek, Carter, Vanek, Kesler, Campbell are all front line talents that have been moved over the last few years. That's a fair amount of top line talent. It's tough if you're a contender, or otherwise pressed to the cap, to obtain any of those players. That rules out the vast majority of clubs.

Bubble teams not pressed to the cap, or bottom dwellers are in prime positions to pick up those players. In fact, 13 of those 17 players went to bubble clubs/bottom dwellers.

Carolina picks up two players that are front line talents (not necessarily marquee players, or stars, or catalysts, but high end talent that can be first line) -- and they're suddenly pretty solid. Add in some smart moves to get the right depth players, and they're good to go to contend. Sure, I'm simplifying it, but smart management teams can take a core like Carolina's and turn it into a contender in the East, IMO.

Keep in mind the foundation of my arguments were that superstars win cups. If you can get them outside the draft the way Pronger, Thornton, Chara or Vanek were... then sure go get them. It can be done.

The only reason I advocated the draft was because I felt it was probably the best way to do it and couldn't see us getting a superstar any other way. I also don't see the point in adding a 30 year old superstar when you've got nothing to surround them with.

As for Carolina... I don't know man. Skinner looks like he might be done. Ward has been shell shocked over the years, Jordan had a bad injury. That D doesn't look very good. I'd probably just rebuild.

 

[ECWHSWI]

You both mention the lockout year as being a PPG. And no, I don't count a half a season as counting.

Besides that he was a consistent 70 goal scorer until last year when he barely broke 60 pts. He's not getting any younger and again, he has a lot of hard miles on him as he's been in the league for 11 years already.

All I'm saying is that's a lot of money for a guy who hasn't been relevant for a few years now and has his best years behind him. Very few players cam all of a sudden flip a switch and be better than they were. If your going to get a 60-70 point guy at $8M, I wouldn't break the bank. Frankly, I think that's something Galchenyuk can do for us in a couple of years for a lot less and a lot longer period of time.

not saying we should get him... but come on now, the guy is TWENTY NINE years old, and had ONE season below 70 points... ONE.

 

[CupInSIX]

not saying we should get him... but come on now, the guy is TWENTY NINE years old, and had ONE season below 70 points... ONE.

Dude's gonna be 40 in 10 years, 13 days.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Hall's 80 points did not make them a better club, nor did Eberle's 70+ point season. That's the gist of what I was getting at.

Well, Yzerman's 160 points didn't do anything for those horrible Wing teams either. I'm not sure what it is you're trying to say here.

The Oilers are a badly run team. Taylor Hall can't do anything about that. The lose in spite of him, not because of him.

 

[Mike8]

Hall's 80 points did not make them a better club, nor did Eberle's 70+ point season. That's the gist of what I was getting at.

Right... but it's really neither here nor there, given Oiler mngmt incompetence. I think it's easily established that they're an exceptional mngmt group.

 

[Sterling Archer]

not saying we should get him... but come on now, the guy is TWENTY NINE years old, and had ONE season below 70 points... ONE.

I'm not saying he's a bad player, in fact I said I'd love to have him.

What I did say if you read the post, was that I wouldn't pay a king's ransom for him.

I doubt his next 5 years of production will match his previous 5 years of production as age and wear & tear start to take hold, as it does to ALL player (except Jagr, he's a freak). That's the main reason I wouldn't over pay him. He's been a beast his entire career but he seems to be slowing down a bit and that's what worrie me. If we could get the Staal of old for 5 years, there's not much I wouldn't trade for him. Next 5 years +, not so sure I'd deplete the farm that we've spent years building up.

PS, i know he has 2 years left on his deal but I don't think you go after a Staal type player for 2 years and let him walk for nothing. Hence why I'm using long(er) term numbers.

 

[malton]

If Staal would waive his NTC to come here then you try to make it happen without giving up your top 4, Chucky, Pac, Subban, Price.

 

[Adriatic]

Yes he's the idiot I'm referring to. You know what a real journalist ( Pierre Lebrun ) did after that? He actually called the Hurricanes front office to ask them about it and they pretty much said there was no way Staal was on the market. So please stop giving Dreger the attention he's whoring for. The guy is almost on par with Eklund to me nowadays.

I don't think he said Canes were shopping him around, he said Leafs inquired about Staal and would have liked to make an offer. And that did happen.

 

[CupInSIX]

If Staal would waive his NTC to come here then you try to make it happen without giving up your top 4, Chucky, Pac, Subban, Price.

They'd have to eat at least 20% of his cap hit, which they should have no problem doing considering their cap space

I'd try to make something happen with the 2015 1st as a centerpiece.

Then insurance if he re-signs with us, like a conditional 2017 1st rounder.

Then somebody going the other way for cap reasons

And finally 2 or 3 mid-level NHL ready prospects
-------------------

You could do worse than re-tooling with a late 1st in a deep draft, and young guys that should be in the NHL like Pateryn and Andrighetto.

 

[V13]

Staal would immediately become our best offensive center + he has size which is something we still need down the middle until Galchenyuk is ready.

I'd certainly willing to sacrifice one of McCarron , DeLarose or Scherbak to land him as suggested on the first page. The guy is 29 years old , it's not like he is 35 +. He still has some solid years left in him imho and would immediately help us. If we can get him without giving Patches , Subban , Price and Galchenyuk then everyone else is fair game.

I think some people in this thread are underestimating what Staal could bring to the Habs. Plus i think he would be motivated more than ever coming to a hockey city like Montreal. I wouldn't overpay but i don't mind getting rid of one of our asset to get him. My biggest issue is his cap hit but....they could work around that hopefully

 

[MTL-rules]

I hope not.

If we need someone it is Jumbo Joe.

Not Staal.

What ? In what world do we need this loser ?

We need a winger, not a center...

 

[Gainesvillain]

I love Staal, and even though he's "only" 29 years old he's got a LOT of mileage on him. Think Vinny Lecavalier at 29. Or Denis Savard (came to the habs at 29). Very similar risk, IMO.

No way does Galchenyuk go the other way in a deal for Staal. Carolina wouldn't even ask.