pld459666
Registered User
Seph, not arguing what you saw
But the Rangers saw somethign different because he was one of the last cuts and they were really thinking about breaking camp with this kid on the roster.
Hie play during preseason was THE reason for the Rangers signing him to a pro contract, something they were under no pressure to do at all.
In fact, if the Rangers hadn't doled out money to Malik and Roszival, Staal could still be with the Rangers, but since the numbers game (age, and salary) played against him, sending him back to his Jr. team was the best option.
In fact there's a nice article on HF where he states the confidence he gained in being with the Rangers for so long has really helped him this year.
Again, not arguing with what you saw, but the reports and what I remember personally differ a bit.
Seph said:I saw Staal play in a couple Rangers preseason games. He definitely had the skills to play in the NHL. But at the time, his decision making still needed work. He looked over anxious, was rushing decisions and went out of position to make hits. It may well have just been nerves, as he was fresh out of the draft and already playing against NHL level competition. But at the time, I didn't think he was ready and would benefit more from playing the season in juniors. I don't know how much he's progressed over the season in that regard, though. But I think there's a good chance he would benefit most from playing another season in juniors next year. Not that he couldn't play in the NHL, but he'd be a better player in the longrun if he waited another season.
But the Rangers saw somethign different because he was one of the last cuts and they were really thinking about breaking camp with this kid on the roster.
Hie play during preseason was THE reason for the Rangers signing him to a pro contract, something they were under no pressure to do at all.
In fact, if the Rangers hadn't doled out money to Malik and Roszival, Staal could still be with the Rangers, but since the numbers game (age, and salary) played against him, sending him back to his Jr. team was the best option.
In fact there's a nice article on HF where he states the confidence he gained in being with the Rangers for so long has really helped him this year.
Again, not arguing with what you saw, but the reports and what I remember personally differ a bit.