Wishful Thinking? Carolina’s Eric Staal is back in the rumor mill.
Oh Look! The NHL Draft is near and Eric Staal’s name is back out there to be traded. Oh! And here we are again with Rangers fans wanting to bring him to New York. I’ve got to tell you, it isn’t 2010 anymore and his skills are in a steep decline at the age of 30.
This is Staal’s final year of a ridiculous contract that paid him an AAV of $8.25M! And you guys complain about Rick Nash??? Sure, the Hurricanes haven’t been a relevant powerhouse in some time. Still, Staal’s production has dropped pretty dramatically over the years.
Aside from the outlier 2012 season, which was shortened by the lockout, Staal points per game average is clearly dipping. Why would you want to add another superstar who underperforms on the Rangers?
It’s almost like playing Fantasy Hockey. Year after year, I watch the same guys draft big name players early and laugh for 10 months as they complain about them. This would be the same thing, but worse because the Rangers would have to give up at least one roster player and a prized prospect. No thank you.
Eric Staal also has a no trade clause, which he would likely waive in order to go to a contender. That may happen this summer or at the trade deadline should GM, Ron Francis be unable to work out an extension for considerably less.
Regardless, let Eric Staal be someone else’s superstar. Or as I expect, headache.
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