According to Josh Yohe of the Pittsburgh Tribune the Penguins are kicking the tires on superb shutdown center Jordan Staal.
The Penguins are interested in reacquiring center Jordan Staal, sources told Trib Total Media.
A move likely would not take place until after the season, though the Penguins have inquired about what it would take to obtain the Carolina Hurricane before the March 2 trade deadline, sources said.
This is a very smart idea. In fact
I suggested this very idea on Thursday of last week
The Penguins haven't been the same since Jordan Staal left.
The first hesitation most people will have with this idea is the 6M cap hit that Staal has. They will bemoan he doesn't produce enough offense to justify such a price tag. While I agree that 6M is quite an investment in a player I will also argue you are getting proper value out of it.
To me I would rather spend 6M on Jordan Staal than the 6.6M the Penguins currently spend on Brandon Sutter and Rob Scuderi. For the Penguins to fit Staal into the cap they would really only have to drop these two players. Sutter is tradeable and buying out Rob Scuderi would save ~2M on the cap. Both are addition by subtraction.
The number one reason I nitpick the contracts of depth players (IE Spaling) is because if you do a great job with value you can comfortably fit in an excellent player like Jordan Staal even if you are paying the market rate.
I have no problem paying above average players. I have a problem paying below average ones.
Jordan Staal is one of the best shutdown centers in the league. He is able to drive possession against the league's best players. Here is what he has done the past four seasons against the players he has played the most against
You'll notice that the X-axis does not drop below 56%. These numbers are ridiculously good.
With Staal being able to provide that kind of defense work against the teams top players it opens up Crosby and Malkin for more offensive roles. The three center approach was hell for the opposition.
When compared with his teammates Jordan Staal is consistently one of the better drivers of possession on his team
Considering he played on a team with both Malkin and Crosby it is an impressive accomplishment that he was able to maintain a positive rel FF% all those years in Pittsburgh. You can see that number spike after he went to Carolina.
By re-acquiring Jordan Staal the Penguins will have quite an impressive core of players locked in to long term deals. Crosby, Malkin, Staal, and Letang are as good a unit of four as any in the league.
Eric Staal's contract is set to expire at the end of next season and there is a chance he will no longer be with the Hurricanes long term. Playing with his older brother was of course the main motivation for Jordan requesting a trade from the Penguins. Eric Staal's situation in Carolina is one to keep an eye on.
I can't say with certainty what the Hurricanes would be looking for in return but the Penguins should most definitely be asking.
The term shutdown center gets thrown around a lot carelessly but Jordan Staal is a guy that truly earns that moniker. Most times a player is deemed a "shutdown center" based on usage alone and not the results they provide. Jordan Staal plays that role and is a possession monster on top of it. Throw in the fact that he averages 21 goals and 48 points a year and he is well worth his cost.
Jordan Staal and a return to the Penguins? A terrific idea.
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