Why Did Pittsburgh Draft Jordan Staal in 2006?

[nags]

A little bit off topic but what an amazing Bantam AAA division in Winnipeg that year.

Jonathan Toews - Chicago Black Hawks 3rd pick overall (should have gone no. 1 if scouts were actually paying attention)- Winnipeg Warriors
Jordan Staal - Pittsburgh 2nd pick overall (right where he should have been picked)- Thunder Bay Kings
James Reimer - Toronto Maple Leafs - Winnipeg Thrashers
Ryan White - Montreal Canadians - Brandon Wheat Kings

Essentially 4 nhl'ers in a league with 7 teams. Wow! Nearly two thirds of the teams had a future nhl'er in the lineup.

And before someone tries to tell me that Staal is not from Winnipeg, forget it. Thunder Bay played in the Winnipeg league during the regular season. Staal and Toews had many, many epic battles that year. It was really amazing to watch.

 

[Pick Six]

A little bit off topic but what an amazing Bantam AAA division in Winnipeg that year.

Jonathan Toews - Chicago Black Hawks 3rd pick overall (should have gone no. 1 if scouts were actually paying attention)- Winnipeg Warriors
Jordan Staal - Pittsburgh 2nd pick overall (right where he should have been picked)- Thunder Bay Kings
James Reimer - Toronto Maple Leafs - Winnipeg Thrashers
Ryan White - Montreal Canadians - Brandon Wheat Kings

Essentially 4 nhl'ers in a league with 7 teams. Wow! Nearly two thirds of the teams had a future nhl'er in the lineup.

And before someone tries to tell me that Staal is not from Winnipeg, forget it. Thunder Bay played in the Winnipeg league during the regular season. Staal and Toews had many, many epic battles that year. It was really amazing to watch.

Well he's not.

 

[Harry Hood]

I think it's a case of BPA.

In regards to the "Pens took Staal because they couldn't afford Toews" argument, are you people suggesting that the Pens purposely took Staal because they knew he would turn out worse than Toews, and therefore require less money?

Anyone bringing up the salary that Toews would inevitably command are doing so as a counter to all the claims about how green the grass would been in Pittsburgh if they had Toews. I don't think anyone is saying that it factored into management's decision.

 

[KingJet*]

Well why did Ottawa draft Daigle in 1993

 

[nags]

Well he's not.

Exactly. He's not but he played in the Winnipeg league that year against Toews and the rest.

 

[Freeptop]

Here's the site of the ranking way back then (TSN)

http://www.tsn.ca/draftcentre/feature/?id=3784

Hopefully it help but I believe that is last name help him get drafted 2nd overall.
But I believe Pittsburgh made the right pick he's a amazing defensive player that is able to play pk or pp. The question is would they of won the cup with out Jordan Staal. Would they won the cup with Toews or Backstrom?

Thanks for linking that. It certainly gives lie to the idea that the Pens selected him as a "reach"! Getting drafted second overall instead of 4th isn't exactly a "reach" after all. Plus, that's the consensus of the group of scouts polled by McKenzie. That doesn't mean that all of them ranked Staal at #4. In fact, according to Gare Joyce's Future Greats and Heartbreaks, the Blue Jackets, at least, had Staal ranked at #2 in their final list (though not all of their scouts had him at #2 individually).

In any case, the idea that Staal was somehow a "reach" at #2 is a ridiculous assertion at best. The evidence points strongly that Staal was universally considered a top 5 pick.

The idea that the Pens somehow felt they had to "make up" for not drafting Eric Staal in 2003 is also pretty silly, since they specifically traded up to #1 in order to get Fleury in particular. Considering Fleury has done quite well for them since they acquired him, I don't see why they ever would have regretted that decision.

Simply put, Jordan Staal was #2 on the Pens' draft list at the time. Why is that so hard to believe?

(fedro91 - aside from referencing your link, this wasn't directed at you; it was more directed at the thread-starter).

 

[leoleo3535]

I agree, Toews was always considered to have leadership qualities before his draft. What I meant to say was that he's turned out to be an even better leader than expected.

The people that knew Toews knew the elite leadership he had.
The young man is elite both talent wise and leadership wise.

 

[GirardSpinorama]

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.

Could have traded some of those guys for nearly any goalie in the league. Easily for someone of Fleury's caliber + more.

 

[Pancakes]

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 scores around 50 points a year and is strong defensively. That is second line center material on the majority of NHL teams. He's not a first line center, but he most certainly is a second line center and with a slight improvement offensively he could be a low end top line center.

 

[TRASHCAT]

they thought he was the second best player in the draft

he wasnt

 

[AmazingNuck]

Does Toews still score his totals playing in Pittsburgh? They didn't convert Staal to the wing so I doubt Toews gets converted either. That leaves Toews in a checking line role with crappy wingers. As a leader he would definitely accept his role and wouldn't have the opportunity to produce as he does in Chicago. It can't be assumed that the production would just carry over.. that completely ignores the developmental work of the teams. Maybe Staal does reach 70 playing with Kane or Ovechkin?

 

[mikeyeightseven]

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.

agreed, sometimes teams dont draft BPA, pit in no way second guesses their choice, obviously hindsight is 20/20 but imagine they drafted brassard or okposo, it was a smart pick at the time and pit fans cant argue with it now

 

[Ogopogo*]

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?

Because many GM's stupidly believe that size = talent.

 

[PensPlz]

Why Did Pittsburgh Draft Jordan Staal in 2006?

Because he was going to be a huge part of us winning a cup in 2009. Need further explanation?

 

[High Flying Birds]

Jordan Staal is 22 years old.

He is a 2nd line center.

I am a Canucks fan so if you want to compare him to Kesler.

At age 22, Ryan Kesler had 18 goals and 26 assists in 158 NHL games. Im not knocking Kesler here either, he is probably my favourite player in the league.

Jordan has 94 goals and 99 assists and a big shiny ring at age 22.

I think Pittsburgh is pretty happy with their pick.

I'd be pretty excited if Staal becomes as good as Kesler has become.

 

[mpp9]

If Staal ever solidifies a 2nd line C position and works in the offseason with Sid I'll be willing to bet the house he becomes a far greater offensive threat. I don't know too many 3rd line centers that produce more than 50 pts short of how Philly rolls briere, giroux, richards down the middle. I hope the team gives him a chance. Kunitz said it best in an interview, "the guy's a horse, carries the puck anywhere on the ice".

 

[Jayevs]

I think toews is perfect in chicago, staal is perfect in pit, and backstrom is perfect i washington, and i love EJ in colorado

 

[Sorry]

Staal has 25 points in his last 31 games I believe. That's with no Crosby and Malkin "protecting him from the oppositions top players". That meme was a bunch of nonsense anyways seeing how Staal was matched against the oppositions top players as a shut-down guy regularly.

 

[#66]

Couldn't stop on his right side? I hope you were trying to be funny. Toews at 17 was absolutely amazing at UND, particularly when Hakstol finally realized he was a natural centre.

Not at all. Toews was great with NDak and you could see the future star but his skating was ugly. At center he looked fine because he didn't have to start and stop like a winger does.

Just another thing to mention about Staal is that at the time of the draft he was being called the rawest out of the top players. I still think that holds true and I don't think we'll see the finished product until he's 24.

 

[Qvist]

I wouldn't say he was a reach - he was in that group of 4 forwards between whom there was really no very clear consensus on the order. Toews was perhaps regarded as the most likely to go second overall, but I think either Kessel or Backstrom would have been more surprising to do so than Staal was. If I remember correctly, he also had a great playoff that year, which boosted his stock.

 

[PensFan101]

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...

I dont see what that has to do with anything... Not to mention that Pittsburgh has been pretty damn happy having Fleury from that draft. Sure, Staal is right now the best player from the 2003 draft, but eight years later its hard to make the case that Fleury hasnt been as advertised. Hes won a cup, been fantastic in another run, and is right now the Pens MVP with Crosby out of the lineup. So I dont know where youre getting that "making up for passing on Staal idea."

Also, I still cant believe people say Staal is a third line centre, one of the most uninformed statements in the history of HF. Hes a third line centre in title alone. Staal has not only produced at the rate of a quality second line centre for three seasons (on pace for that again this season), hes regularly in the Top 40 for centre icetime (this year his average puts him 6th, which would be less with a healthy lineup, but still, 6th among all NHL centres). At the moment, he should be considered one of the best second line centres in the league. Obviously hes not a 1st line centre yet, but the idea that hes "just a quality third line centre" is not just an overused tagline here, its flat out wrong.

 

[bullslugg]

You mean Toews, Crosby, Malkin down the middle.

I see what you did there! nice!

 

[nanzenkills]

The people that knew Toews knew the elite leadership he had.
The young man is elite both talent wise and leadership wise.

Still, there's no denying that he turned out better than expected. If everyone knew he'd turn out to be what he is now, he'd have been the consensus #1 in his draft year by a mile.

 

[wej20]

And they could have had Eric in 2003

Crosby
Malkin
E. Staal
Toews/Backstrom


That literally hurts my head.

With E.Staal and Crosby we wouldn't have had a top pick in 06

They should have traded the pick to Carolina for Jack Johnson.

Why? Johnson only really started putting it together these last two seasons.

Does Toews still score his totals playing in Pittsburgh? They didn't convert Staal to the wing so I doubt Toews gets converted either. That leaves Toews in a checking line role with crappy wingers. As a leader he would definitely accept his role and wouldn't have the opportunity to produce as he does in Chicago. It can't be assumed that the production would just carry over.. that completely ignores the developmental work of the teams. Maybe Staal does reach 70 playing with Kane or Ovechkin?

Toews probably would have converted to wing better (though at the time of the draft probably not with the question marks about his skating)

 

[Tachycineta]

Not trying to hijack the thread but the mock with Buffalo getting David Fischer = major ouch (well, we drafted a European defensive bust instead of a NA College one)...

Anyways, Staal is a solid two way player for Pittsburgh and a big part of their organization so I'm sure they're happy with their pick. Toews might have been better for asset management but in the grand scheme of things, an extra 2nd round pick isn't that big a deal (assuming a trade or something like Staal and 2nd for rights to pick Toews).