When pondering Jordan Staal the only thing that comes to mind these days are questions…lots and lots of questions.
What is wrong with Jordan Staal? Is he regressing? Will he ever find a way to succeed behind the likes of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin? And probably the biggest question on the minds of folks in Pittsburgh, should the young center be traded?
In contemplating the above queries and searching for answers, I came up with a similar situation in Penguins history. It is not an exact match, but it isn’t far off either.
Let’s hop in the way back machine to the year 1993-94.
The Penguins were coming off of a President’s Trophy season and were just two years removed from back to back Stanley Cups. The core of that team was largely intact and there weren’t many jobs up for grabs. The team boasted some of the best forwards in the game, such as Mario Lemieux, Ron Francis, Kevin Stevens, Jaromir Jagr, Joe Mullen, Rick Tocchet and Tomas Sandstrom. Unfortunately, that made life awfully tough for a young winger by the name of Markus Naslund.
Naslund was selected by Pittsburgh 16th overall during the 1991 NHL Entry Draft and came with a pretty impressive offensive pedigree. He had been lighting up the J20 SuperElit league in Sweden playing alongside longtime friend Peter Forsberg in Modo. Many in Pittsburgh were excited to add the dynamic forward to an already impressive roster.
Unfortunately, that roster is the main reason that the young Swede wasn’t able to succeed in Pittsburgh. Naslund appeared in 71 games during the 1993-94 season, recording only 11 pts (4G 11A). He was not given much of an opportunity to succeed, as he was cast in a third or fourth line role most of the time and received little to no time on the power play.
Naslund toiled in that role throughout the 1994-95 season, appearing in just 14 games and posting only 4 pts (2G 2A).
Though the situation wasn’t perfect for him, the talented forward continued to work hard and was flashing signs of his former brilliance during training camps and practices. Unfortunately, trade rumors started to circulate and many fans and media were calling for them to become reality.
The Penguins eventually saw some of their world class wingers move on and were able to “showcase” Naslund on the top line alongside Mario Lemieux. The former first round draft pick thrived and finally rewarded the team with 55 pts (22G 33A) in 66 games. That offensive outburst was enough to get the GMs around the league to take notice and Naslund was dealt to the Vancouver Canucks for Alek Stojanov in one of the most lopsided deals in NHL history.
Naslund, finally escaping the logjam he was caught in, went on to become one of the league’s top players - - a three time all star and the recipient of the Lester B. Pearson Award following the 2002-03 season.
Flash-forward to today’s Pittsburgh Penguins, a team that boasts Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, both centers and two of the game’s best. Enter to the equation Jordan Staal, the 2nd overall draft pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.
Staal, who arrived on the scene during the 2006-07 season with 29 goals, set the bar very high for himself and has struggled in achieving those heights ever since. Sort of like Naslund did with his offensive brilliance in Modo.
It is widely known that the player is better skating in his natural position, center. Unfortunately, the team is forced to use him in a checking role or on the wing. Though this has helped foster Staal’s defensive game, his offense has taken multiple steps backward. He has watched his goal total drop from 29 to 12 last year to 0 thus far in 2008.
In reuniting Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin on one line, the team has given Jordan Staal a chance to center the second line, unfortunately it is not paying off as of yet. I am forced to wonder about the fact that this is a great opportunity to showcase what number 11 can do. This is a far cry from skating alongside Mario Lemieux the way that Naslund did, but if Staal can show the league that he is a top center the offers will come rolling in.
It is not my first choice to have Jordan Staal move, but unfortunately, this is starting to look a lot like the Naslund situation, in that Jordan Staal is locked into a spot on the depth chart behind several players that he will never pass. He is also not content to be the checking line center for a championship team, which leaves only the trade option - - a trade.
Unfortunately, this is looking more and more like the scenario that will have to play out for Jordan Staal to thrive offensively in the league. We can only hope that Ray Shero is able to make a better deal that his predecessor did 12 years ago.
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