Your opinions on Eric Staal

[Blueline Bomber]

His defense has definitely improved. Staal is one of two players since the invention of the stat to score 100 points and still end up a minus- in his 05-06 season. He was heavily sheltered at ES, with Brind'Amour and Matt Cullen getting the harder assignments.

He used to be brutal defensively because he was young and unused to the speed of the NHL game. Now it is mostly an effort issue (which most people seem to understand).

So he was brutal defensively because of youth, and now he's brutal defensively because of effort.

...How is that an improvement? If anything, that sounds like he had the opportunity to improve his defensive game while the other two took the tougher assignments and it just never happened.

As for scoring, Staal has maintained a very consistent level (75-80 points) since 06-07 despite league wide scoring going down thanks to less powerplays called. As for his offensive game itself, have you forgotten the days of Captain Wrap-Around?

I don't really consider "Don't perform a wrap around every other offensive zone shift" an improvement rather than simple common sense, but I suppose if you want to label it as that, you're not incorrect.

As for how he has grown as a leader, unless you have had access to the locker room for the better part of the last decade, how the **** could you make a conclusion on something like that?

You're right. I only have access to what's being shown on the ice and what's being said in interviews. Well, and the occasional inside connection that comes with the job.

But since it's been said that Staal is the kind of leader that "leads by example on the ice", he can be judged as a leader by his actions on the ice. On most nights, his actions on the ice aren't one of a leader.

 

[Navin R Slavin]

But since it's been said that Staal is the kind of leader that "leads by example on the ice", he can be judged as a leader by his actions on the ice. On most nights, his actions on the ice aren't one of a leader.

This.

--hank

 

[Finlandia WOAT]

So he was brutal defensively because of youth, and now he's brutal defensively because of effort.

...How is that an improvement? If anything, that sounds like he had the opportunity to improve his defensive game while the other two took the tougher assignments and it just never happened.

As if the level of defensive ability he has demonstrated now vs. when he was rookie and when he was a sophomore is comparable.

I don't really consider "Don't perform a wrap around every other offensive zone shift" an improvement rather than simple common sense, but I suppose if you want to label it as that, you're not incorrect.

You're also forgetting that he has maintained a consistent level of performance despite the league wide decrease in scoring and the lower quality of linemates vs. his earlier seasons.

You're right. I only have access to what's being shown on the ice and what's being said in interviews. Well, and the occasional inside connection that comes with the job.

But since it's been said that Staal is the kind of leader that "leads by example on the ice", he can be judged as a leader by his actions on the ice. On most nights, his actions on the ice aren't one of a leader.

See, that's fine. But that's also totally different from saying that he has not improved as a leader from 2005-06 to the present.

 

[Blueline Bomber]

As if the level of defensive ability he has demonstrated now vs. when he was rookie and when he was a sophomore is comparable.

I guess if you want to call it an improvement, feel free. Much in the same way that getting hit by a double-decker bus would be an improvement over getting hit by a train. The end result is the same, but one is technically an improvement over the other.

You're also forgetting that he has maintained a consistent level of performance despite the league wide decrease in scoring and the lower quality of linemates vs. his earlier seasons.

The league-wide decrease in scoring, I'll give you. Though that may be offset by the increased amount of minutes he's gotten in that same timespan. However, the quality of linemates argument is a weak one. Staal has put up 70-80 points no matter who he spends the majority of his icetime with. Whether it's Whitney, Cole, Ruutu, Jussi, LaRose, or Semin, he's (typically) around that same point total.

It's easy to say that with better linemates, he should be putting up more points, but it hasn't happened. It could very well be that the one that has the most affect on Staal's point totals is Staal himself.

See, that's fine. But that's also totally different from saying that he has not improved as a leader from 2005-06 to the present.

No, I said he did improve. Like I said, he no longer spends a good minute on the ice, a look of disbelief directed at the officials, after a failed attempt to draw a call. A noticeable improvement of his leadership skills on the ice.

 

[Finlandia WOAT]

I guess if you want to call it an improvement, feel free. Much in the same way that getting hit by a double-decker bus would be an improvement over getting hit by a train. The end result is the same, but one is technically an improvement over the other.

Well, in 08-09, Staal had the highest Corsi Rel. Competition for forwards and the highest QoC for forwards, unless you count Erik Cole and his games in Edmonton (or the two games of Zach Boychuk and Jakub Petrulzalek [WHO???]). He also had the second highest Corsi on the Hurricanes, behind Michael Ryan (lol). So there is a clear example in improvement from the 2005-06 season. Here, Staal was given the prime defensive assignments and the prime offensive ones, and succeeded at both (and shockingly, we made the playoffs).

This mainly has to do with Laviolette favoring a power vs. power matchup, and Maurice not really changing that.

Since then, Staal has been mediocre defensively, until the trainwreck of this season, which seems to be serving as an anchor in people's minds when Staal's defense is discussed.

The league-wide decrease in scoring, I'll give you. Though that may be offset by the increased amount of minutes he's gotten in that same timespan. However, the quality of linemates argument is a weak one. Staal has put up 70-80 points no matter who he spends the majority of his icetime with. Whether it's Whitney, Cole, Ruutu, Jussi, LaRose, or Semin, he's (typically) around that same point total.

It's easy to say that with better linemates, he should be putting up more points, but it hasn't happened. It could very well be that the one that has the most affect on Staal's point totals is Staal himself.

What I am saying is that, even though Staal's linemate quality has decreased, he has still maintained a consistent level of performance.

I am suggesting that this may be because Staal himself improved to make up for it, though I can't really offer anything conclusive to prove that.

No, I said he did improve. Like I said, he no longer spends a good minute on the ice, a look of disbelief directed at the officials, after a failed attempt to draw a call. A noticeable improvement of his leadership skills on the ice.

You can say whatever you want about the leadership qualities where the fans can see, and I will admit that Staal is lacking in that department. My issue is with sweeping generalizations that include everything that the fans don't see- which is quite a bit.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Has he really maintained a consistent level of performance?

When he broke out, he had consecutive seasons of 100-70-82. Since then he's gone 75-70-76-70-61, except for the lockout year which was more on the level of his breakout seasons. There's a big difference between a guy who gives you 80 points with the potential for 100, and a guy who gives you 60 with the potential for 80.

Scoring rates don't affect those numbers significantly, btw.

 

[Carolinas Identity*]

estaalo should be impeached.

 

[What the Faulk]

Dropping his first two outlier seasons, he's a 75 point guy with the potential for 80, which is what he probably would have finished with last year.

 

[Finlandia WOAT]

Has he really maintained a consistent level of performance?

When he broke out, he had consecutive seasons of 100-70-82. Since then he's gone 75-70-76-70-61, except for the lockout year which was more on the level of his breakout seasons. There's a big difference between a guy who gives you 80 points with the potential for 100, and a guy who gives you 60 with the potential for 80.

Scoring rates don't affect those numbers significantly, btw.

He's considered a 70 point player- and he has gotten those points with roughly 45 ES points and roughly 30 PP points every year.

Except his 100 point season, where he got 56 ES points and 44 PP points.

Part of that has to do with him nearly getting 6 minutes of PP time a game, along with playing on one of the best offensive teams in the League.

He has been consistent- just not at the level of his one breakout year, where he reached triple digits. And is it fair to call Staal a 60 point guy when this is the first full year since his 18 year old season that he has not hit at least 70?

 

[tarheelhockey]

You see what I mean, though. He's been consistent over the past few frustrating years, but here's been a definite dropoff from his breaking 80 points in two of his first three seasons, to now being a "70 point guy".

Usually that kind of trend is offset by improvements in defense and veteran savvy... not so much in this case.

 

[the halleJOKEL]

i think we should actually just kill him b/c he isnt even worth trading

i could never live with myself if we knowingly harmed another team in that way

 

[nobuddy]

i think we should actually just kill him b/c he isnt even worth trading

i could never live with myself if we knowingly harmed another team in that way

Occam's Razor for this issue at this point imo

 

[Sens1Canes2]

It's like my buddy who works for the Sens says about Spezza - he makes lots of money and is pretty bad defensively, but there are a lot of points to replace if you get rid of him. Those types of guys don't grow on trees.

Interestingly, there MAY be three or four #1 type guys on the move this offseason. None of them (Staal, Spezza, maybe Thornton) are bad players, liabilities overall, or *tremendously* overpaid. However, all three could probably use a change of scenery. I wonder if any of them may be swapped for each other. It'd be cool to see how they do on other teams.

 

[VAcaniac]

What drove me most nuts the last past season was his offensive zone penalties. There aren't many more stupid things you can do in hockey than take a penalty in the offensive zone.

 

[SkinnersAWinner]

i think we should actually just kill him b/c he isnt even worth trading

i could never live with myself if we knowingly harmed another team in that way

If we kill him how will we be able to give him a front office job when he retires?

 

[nobuddy]

It's like my buddy who works for the Sens says about Spezza - he makes lots of money and is pretty bad defensively, but there are a lot of points to replace if you get rid of him. Those types of guys don't grow on trees.

Interestingly, there MAY be three or four #1 type guys on the move this offseason. None of them (Staal, Spezza, maybe Thornton) are bad players, liabilities overall, or *tremendously* overpaid. However, all three could probably use a change of scenery. I wonder if any of them may be swapped for each other. It'd be cool to see how they do on other teams.

thornton to semin they score!!!!





sharks lead 3-0


didn't see that one coming did you

 

[VAcaniac]

Has there ever been a less popular Canes franchise player?

 

[nobuddy]

Has there ever been a less popular Canes franchise player?

 

[rocky7]

well we should hear soon enough what the opinions of Eric Staal are from the people who's opinions actually matter in the whole scheme of things, and we may even hear from Eric himself regarding what his wants are and what he plans to do. of course we may hear nothing at all in terms of players and the roster and will just have to wait and see how it all plays out. I will be quite surprised if anything major changes on the Staal front this summer leading into next season.

 

[Finnish Jerk Train]

Eric Staal's spoken words are as noncommittal as his play on the ice when beast mode is turned off. We won't hear a thing out of him other than "I love Raleigh, the fans are great, and I want to lead us back to the playoffs."

I also agree that we should kill him.

 

[NorthStar4Canes]

Eric Staal's spoken words are as noncommittal as his play on the ice when beast mode is turned off. We won't hear a thing out of him other than "I love Raleigh, the fans are great, and I want to lead us back to the playoffs."

I also agree that we should kill him.

IMO Eric Staal is a short little Martian dressed up in a tall hockey player's puppet suit controlled through an internal system of levers and pulleys, and his spoken words are what we hear after "Ack, ack, ack" has been electronically translated. When he sucks it's because his gearing is out of whack or flywheels not greased properly. His screams after scoring are a dead giveaway...obviously not human.

To kill him play Slim Whitman over the arena's PA, and watch his head explode inside that ridiculous bubble visor of his.

 

[FlyingSquirrels]

IMO Eric Staal is a short little Martian dressed up in a tall hockey player's puppet suit controlled through an internal system of levers and pulleys, and his spoken words are what we hear after "Ack, ack, ack" has been electronically translated. When he sucks it's because his gearing is out of whack or flywheels not greased properly. His screams after scoring are a dead giveaway...obviously not human.

To kill him play Slim Whitman over the arena's PA, and watch his head explode inside that ridiculous bubble visor of his.

Great movie

 

[HisIceness]

He gets off to notoriously slow starts, but then randomly goes into beat mode around February.

It's somewhat frustrating because he could be a 90-100 point guy with just a modicum of effort.

You pretty much said what I was going to say.

The guy could easily be a top ten player in the league, but for whatever reason he seems disinterested in being one. There are times where I feel he is content with what he has already accomplished and it kills me as a fan.

 

[DaveG]

Has there ever been a less popular Canes franchise player?

Were you around for the Primeau years? Holy **** there's still a lot of vitriol from a lot of people... myself included in that one.

Staal's seeming lackadaisical attitude and play almost completely mirrors Primeau's when he was here. In fact Primeau was even more notorious for that with the seemingly annual "is this going to be the year for him?" and the holdout made him absolutely 100% reviled among what small Canes fanbase there was at the time.

Of course the difference between then and now is that we had a great mix of veteran players (Francis, Roberts, Kron, Kovalenko, Gelinas, Daniels) and some very solid young players making their way in the league (O'Neill, Kapanen, Battaglia).

 

[Carolinas Identity*]

He had an excuse though. He was a Primeaudonna