Why Did Pittsburgh Draft Jordan Staal in 2006?

Stephen

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Feb 28, 2002
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If I remember correctly, Jordan Staal was a bit of a reach pick at number 2 by Pittsburgh in 2006. At the time, Toews, Kessel and Backstrom were ranked higher, I think. Without getting into a debate about whether it was the right pick, does anybody remember if they took him because they passed on Eric Staal in 2003? Remember, at the time Eric Staal was coming off a cup, and a 100 point season as a 21 year old, and Malkin hadn't arrived yet. So was there the sense that Jordan Staal was picked to correct for not taking Eric Staal?
 

YEGJuniorFan

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well he was a reach but there was no guarantee toews, kessel and backstrom were going to turn out better. i would say toews was a safer pick but staal has turned out great ppl unfairly say he went to high. i wouldnt pick kessel over staal and toews/backstrom could have easily not have turned out as they did. Staal is a great two-way player, hits, plays the pk and would score more on a lot of other teams. i would say he is turning out just as he was planned to
 

BigAl

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If I remember correctly, Jordan Staal was a bit of a reach pick at number 2 by Pittsburgh in 2006. At the time, Toews, Kessel and Backstrom were ranked higher, I think. Without getting into a debate about whether it was the right pick, does anybody remember if they took him because they passed on Eric Staal in 2003? Remember, at the time Eric Staal was coming off a cup, and a 100 point season as a 21 year old, and Malkin hadn't arrived yet. So was there the sense that Jordan Staal was picked to correct for not taking Eric Staal?

I don't think they were thinking about Eric when they took Jordan. I'm sure they are still happy with the pick though. Staal was a beast for them when they won the Cup.
 

Trunz05

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Dec 2, 2010
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If I remember correctly, Jordan Staal was a bit of a reach pick at number 2 by Pittsburgh in 2006. At the time, Toews, Kessel and Backstrom were ranked higher, I think. Without getting into a debate about whether it was the right pick, does anybody remember if they took him because they passed on Eric Staal in 2003? Remember, at the time Eric Staal was coming off a cup, and a 100 point season as a 21 year old, and Malkin hadn't arrived yet. So was there the sense that Jordan Staal was picked to correct for not taking Eric Staal?

Every pens fan is going to come on here saying he was the right pick, second line center on other teams, just hasn't broken out yet, kesler2.0, etc., despite staal being simply a great third line center.
 

Stephen

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Feb 28, 2002
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I don't think they were thinking about Eric when they took Jordan. I'm sure they are still happy with the pick though. Staal was a beast for them when they won the Cup.

Oh yeah, not putting any judgement on the pick, just wanted to see if there was any talk that they had messed up by not taking Eric and were now going with his little brother, whom their father said would be the best of the brothers...
 

Michael Gary Scott

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Apr 27, 2010
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Imagine if they wouldve taken Toews instead?! Crosby, Malkin, Toews down the middle would probably have been the best center depth in the history of the NHL. Not to discredit Staal, but Toews>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Staal
 

PensFan101

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This topic has been beaten to death so many times, but from a Penguins perspective Staal has been the best pick possible for them. Sure, Toews and Backstrom are more productive players and have much higher offensive ceilings, but the fact of the matter is that had Toews or Backstrom come to Pittsburgh and their career numbers were about the same (impossible to speculate, but lets say as an example), Pittsburgh likely wouldnt have been able to keep them without their core looking significantly different (and likely a lot thinner than it is).

So in hindsight, while Staal isnt the best player the Pens realistically could have picked, hes ended up being the best possible fit for them longterm.
 

Stephen

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Feb 28, 2002
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This topic has been beaten to death so many times, but from a Penguins perspective Staal has been the best pick possible for them. Sure, Toews and Backstrom are more productive players and have much higher offensive ceilings, but the fact of the matter is that had Toews or Backstrom come to Pittsburgh and their career numbers were about the same (impossible to speculate, but lets say as an example), Pittsburgh likely wouldnt have been able to keep them without their core looking significantly different (and likely a lot thinner than it is).

So in hindsight, while Staal isnt the best player the Pens realistically could have picked, hes ended up being the best possible fit for them longterm.

Not putting a value judgement on the Staal pick, just wondering if there was talk about getting Eric's little brother to make up for passing up on him in 2003...
 

Derick*

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Imagine if they wouldve taken Toews instead?! Crosby, Malkin, Toews down the middle would probably have been the best center depth in the history of the NHL. Not to discredit Staal, but Toews>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Staal

You mean Toews, Crosby, Malkin down the middle.
 

JustinW

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Dec 14, 2006
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Tough to say Toews would be better given the same role and minutes while developing. Also Staal is only 22.
 

NTP 3

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Aug 19, 2010
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Imagine if they wouldve taken Toews instead?! Crosby, Malkin, Toews down the middle would probably have been the best center depth in the history of the NHL. Not to discredit Staal, but Toews>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Staal

Imagine if we had to fit that under the salary cap. 6.3 would be a huge cap hit for a 3rd line center.
 

boredmale

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Just my theory but I think the Penguins went with Staal because they felt he could provide them with something the others couldn't and since they already had Crosby and Malkin they didn't have to draft as much for offense. I would be curious to see the Penguins choice if they didn't have one or both of Crosby and Malkin.

Hindsite being 20/20 I am surprised Toews wasn't the run away consensus #1 pick. I just remember him having tons of hype going into the draft and he is basically everything everybody expected from him before he was drafted.
 

GKJ

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Feb 27, 2002
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It was considered a reach because during the season Staal wasn't considered that high, but by the end of it was.


It also wasn't a given Malkin was going to hop the pond before his contract in Russia expired.
 

Random Forest

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May 12, 2010
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And they could have had Eric in 2003 :amazed:

Crosby
Malkin
E. Staal
Toews/Backstrom


That literally hurts my head.
 

Phrazer

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I was expecting them to go for Kessel on draft day. Its amazing to think how different his career would have been playing with Crosby.
 

Pi

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Nov 16, 2010
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I was expecting them to go for Kessel on draft day. Its amazing to think how different his career would have been playing with Crosby.

This. I really thought Kessel was the pick they would go for because, having Malkin and Crosby they had enough depth at center, to just roll with a FA signing for the 3rd line center role.
 

Levizk

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Feb 12, 2007
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And they could have had Eric in 2003 :amazed:

Crosby
Malkin
E. Staal
Toews/Backstrom


That literally hurts my head.

The salary cap implications of that setup there means one or two of those players would probably be traded already unless the Pens would want to roll like the Flyers and watch as their goalie situation sinks their impressive roster.
 

arsmaster*

Guest
The Penguins at the time had Crosby ie. their leader and offensive Catalyst, no point in adding Toews. They also had Malkin the imposing supremely talented offensive center, no point for adding Backstrom.

Erik Johnson went #1, so it really came down to adding Kessel - an enigmatic offensive player whose stock was falling hard or Jordan Staal a PPG center, who by admission of his own father was physically stronger than Eric (not at the same age, at that time... a 18 year old stronger than a 21 year old).

Staal was something they didnt have and looks like the right choice to me....I was always dissapointed that the Pens didnt send Jordan back to Peterborough for one more year as the offensive catalyst playing 22-30 mins a game in all situations (imagine how good his offense would have gotten), but it doesnt seem to have hurt the team - dominant in the cup runs, and they have another banner, so its pretty hard to say they made the wrong decision.
 

ScOrpik

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Jul 5, 2010
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Every pens fan is going to come on here saying he was the right pick, second line center on other teams, just hasn't broken out yet, kesler2.0, etc., despite staal being simply a great third line center.

He wasn't the best pick, but he's turned out to be the most affordable pick. Thanks for over-generalizing Pens fans tho.

Nice useranme
 

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