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

[57special]

If he gets another contract with the Wild I see him staying here at least till his kids are schooled. He can always visit Canada in the summer to fish, etc.. Wouldn't be shocked to see him coaching his kids at Braemar once he retires.

There is more in common between Thunder Bay and MN, than there is between Thunder Bay and many other parts of Canada.

 

[thestonedkoala]

I'd say Staal to a 5-6 million/4 year contract personally. I mean really, at this point Minnesota's window is small before they need to re-stock.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Staal's current $3.5M + $2.3M (1/2 of Ennis' expiring contract) = $5.8M

Nobody else really important to re-sign that offseason (only Eriksson Ek's bridge deal) means that there should be little bit of leeway if we need to find another ~$500k. I'd go $19M / 3 years ($6.333M average). But I wouldn't do it this summer. If Staal can carry these past 2 years into December of next year, I'd try to lock him up then.

 

[thestonedkoala]

Staal's current $3.5M + $2.3M (1/2 of Ennis' expiring contract) = $5.8M

Nobody else really important to re-sign that offseason (only Eriksson Ek's bridge deal) means that there should be little bit of leeway if we need to find another ~$500k. I'd go $19M / 3 years ($6.333M average). But I wouldn't do it this summer. If Staal can carry these past 2 years into December of next year, I'd try to lock him up then.

I'd lock him up this summer and not have to worry about it moving into next year. That way they can plan for the season after knowing they don't have to worry Staal.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

I'd lock him up this summer and not have to worry about it moving into next year. That way they can plan for the season after knowing they don't have to worry Staal.

I just don't know what the downside to waiting is. Is he going to put up another 40 goal season and all of a sudden command $10M instead of $6M? Or he's going to command a 6 year deal instead of a 3 year deal? I don't think so. He's still going to be 35 years old and he's still made over $80 million in his career. I just don't see that much of a difference, no matter what he does the 3rd year. And I don't think he's going to uproot from this situation for an extra couple million.

It's the same issue I had with not waiting another year to extend Koivu. How much more than $5.5M was he going to ask for, even if he replicated 2016-17? Hardly any, IMO. I would've taken the chance, just as I'd take the chance on Staal.

 

[thestonedkoala]

I just don't know what the downside to waiting is.

His contract expires at the end of next year right? I think it would be easier to manage both offseasons and trades moving into that season. We're going to be needing another backup goaltender in 2019 and possibly another depth defenseman. If Olofsson keeps developing, we'll need to re-sign him as well. I think it makes the 2018-2019 more flexible, because you know moving into the 2019 offseason what you're at and how to improve the team.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

His contract expires at the end of next year right? I think it would be easier to manage both offseasons and trades moving into that season. We're going to be needing another backup goaltender in 2019 and possibly another depth defenseman. If Olofsson keeps developing, we'll need to re-sign him as well. I think it makes the 2018-2019 more flexible, because you know moving into the 2019 offseason what you're at and how to improve the team.

I think they're going to have a pretty good idea of what that number is regardless, and you reduce a little bit of risk. There will still be some, but what does it hurt to let it bleed a little bit into October/November/December just to get a better idea? If he's still playing great, you lock him; if he struggles a little bit, you can let it play out.

 

[57special]

He should get the identical contract to Koivu.

 

[Bazeek]

He should get the identical contract to Koivu.

This would be ideal, though I expect Staal to get more. I also think we're more likely to get him on a contract like that during/after next season.

 

[57special]

I think it would be a face thing for Koivu, and Staal would be on board with it. Maybe give him a player option for a third year.
I just think a million or two is not going to sway Staal to move away at this point in his career. The guy is about his family, and his boys are entering a wonderful age when he wants to be around them, and to let have a stable environment.

All bets are off if he goes and gets 80 points or something next year.

 

[Wild11MN]

He should get the identical contract to Koivu.

We should have waited until they were UFAs and signed them both to 13×$98M 2×$11M contracts!

 

[Bazeek]

I think it would be a face thing for Koivu, and Staal would be on board with it. Maybe give him a player option for a third year.
I just think a million or two is not going to sway Staal to move away at this point in his career. The guy is about his family, and his boys are entering a wonderful age when he wants to be around them, and to let have a stable environment.

All bets are off if he goes and gets 80 points or something next year.

Him putting up 80 next year would be the best possible thing and the worst possible thing Let's get Washington County to name a pond after him or something. Or one of the golf courses to offer his dad lucrative sod contracts.

 

[57special]

Just get Suter and Spurgeon to give up the Kwiktrip and water adds to Staal.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

I think it would be a face thing for Koivu, and Staal would be on board with it. Maybe give him a player option for a third year.
I just think a million or two is not going to sway Staal to move away at this point in his career. The guy is about his family, and his boys are entering a wonderful age when he wants to be around them, and to let have a stable environment.

All bets are off if he goes and gets 80 points or something next year.

I don't think that's a thing.

 

[Northerner]

I think it would be a face thing for Koivu, and Staal would be on board with it. Maybe give him a player option for a third year.
I just think a million or two is not going to sway Staal to move away at this point in his career. The guy is about his family, and his boys are entering a wonderful age when he wants to be around them, and to let have a stable environment.

All bets are off if he goes and gets 80 points or something next year.

Are his kids growing up here right now?


I think outside of the Jets there is no NHL franchise closer to Thunder Bay. Maybe the Leafs?

 

[2Pair]

I don't think that's a thing.

In the NHL, it's an against the rules thing.

 

[ThatGuy22]

I'd lock him up this summer and not have to worry about it moving into next year. That way they can plan for the season after knowing they don't have to worry Staal.

I've said it before in this thread, I want absolutely nothing to do with negotiating with a player coming off a 40 + goal season in which he shot 19%, espiecially in a long career where he'd only shot above 14% one other time (his other 40 goal year, a decade ago).

He's still insanely valuable to the Wild at 25 goals and 65 points he'd have with a normal shooting percentage, but he doesn't have that 40 goal leverage.

Also, if the Wild are out of it next year by some chance, he'd be an insanely valuable trade chip that wouldn't necessarily prevent us from resigning him in the offseason (like what Paul Stastny is probably going to do)

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

I've said it before in this thread, I want absolutely nothing to do with negotiating with a player coming off a 40 + goal season in which he shot 19%, espiecially in a long career where he'd only shot above 14% one other time (his other 40 goal year, a decade ago).

He's still insanely valuable to the Wild at 25 goals and 65 points he'd have with a normal shooting percentage, but he doesn't have that 40 goal leverage.

Also, if the Wild are out of it next year by some chance, he'd be an insanely valuable trade chip that wouldn't necessarily prevent us from resigning him in the offseason (like what Paul Stastny is probably going to do)

What would be "normal"?

 

[ThatGuy22]

What would be "normal"?

For Staal, 11% give or take 2 percent on any given year. He's 11.2% shooter over a long career and this year he's shooting 19.3% . 13 year NHL veteran's don't turn into 19% shooters over an offseason.

So if he was at the high end of that, say 13.3% (which he shot last year), he'd be around 30 goals come end of the season. If gets some bad luck(9.2%), he'd be closer to 20. Most likely, somewhere in the middle.

Either way, that's a valuable hockey player. But it's not likely to be 40+ goals valuable in the coming years.

 

[ThatGuy22]

For Staal, 11% give or take 2 percent on any given year. He's 11.2% shooter over a long career and this year he's shooting 19.3% . 13 year NHL veteran's don't turn into 19% shooters over an offseason.

So if he was at the high end of that, say 13.3% (which he shot last year), he'd be around 30 goals come end of the season. If gets some bad luck(9.2%), he'd be closer to 20. Most likely, somewhere in the middle.

Either way, that's a valuable hockey player. But it's not likely to be 40+ goals valuable in the coming years.

I will say, BB's systems have proven over the past decade to lead to higher end shooting percentages, so I think it's likely he'd be on the higher end of the 9-13 % scale, and likely to be closer to 30 goals than 20. He's just not likely to come near 40 again.

 

[Uberdachen]

You also need to take into account that a referee used a puck to push some of Staal's brains back into his ear at the end of last season, forging a telekinetic bond between man and puck.

 

[thestonedkoala]

He's still insanely valuable to the Wild at 25 goals and 65 points he'd have with a normal shooting percentage, but he doesn't have that 40 goal leverage.

He also has the age leverage where Minnesota can use that.

Also, if the Wild are out of it next year by some chance, he'd be an insanely valuable trade chip that wouldn't necessarily prevent us from resigning him in the offseason (like what Paul Stastny is probably going to do)

When has Minnesota ever traded a veteran like Staal at the deadline?

 

[ThatGuy22]

Like Staal? I'd argue we've never had one with that type of value under Fletcher.

But, when not in a playoff spot Fletcher has sold off assets on expiring rentals. He's only been in that position twice, but 2010 and 2011 trade deadlines he traded , Kim Johnson, Greg Zanon, Anton Khudobin, Eric Belanger and Zidlicky (not expiring, but still).

 

[57special]

Are his kids growing up here right now?

yeah.

 

[Northerner]

yeah.

Let me guess - playing for the Evil Empire? (Edina)