Matt Karash: Eric Staal and the C...and what to do about last year of contract

I'll defer to the coaching staff and GM on the captainsy. As far as resigning, I'd go 3 years, 5.5 million per year. Market rate for 50 point/year centers is $3.5-4.5 million.

Very simple. You give him the same contract his brother has.

If he is re-signed, it needs to be nothing more than 2 years at a time, and I wouldn't give more than 6 million to a single player on our roster. No one but Faulk deserves that much money.

I don't get to read much of your articles, but this one stuck out to me. As much as i would like to see Staal on the left side of Giroux and Voracek this year (minus the fact we couldn't fit his cap unless we moved a few players), i really would like to see him finish his career in Carolina. He came in at the tail end of Brind'Amour's career and feel like he has that old school personality about him. I truly respect your organization from where it was to where it built to and everything in between. To see Staal somewhere else would be like Joe Sakic leaving Colorado or Shane Doan leaving Phoenix/Arizona.

Sad state of affairs when you say a player is a bargain at 5 mill per year. Something has to change Way too much money is floating out there Make these guys earn it not just expect it.

Sutter & Bennett for Staal at draft plus pitt gets canes 1st.

When E Staal was at his best he was playing on the wing without the pressure of the "C". Market for him is probably in the $7 - 7.5 million. I would be happy if the Canes could resign him with maybe a $1 million home team discount. I would like to see someone else wear the C and push Staal to the wing and see if he can reignite his scoring touch. He does not appear to be having fun in his current role. It seems more of a burden to him. It would be nice to see that tall kid who skated with so much enthusiasm to reappear.

As you have pointed out, I think it is foolish for us fans to try and judge the merit of Eric remaining the team's captain when the guys in the room and management have a much more intimate view of his performance in that role. By all accounts I've read, he is well thought in that roll by his peers.

As for his contract, I think Ron Francis should explore an extension with a decreasing salary that takes him out to 36 or 37 so he can become a "lifer" with the canes and retire his number...something like 7, 7, 6.5, 6, 5.5, 5, 5 million per year. For such a term and contract value, however, I would not give him a full NMC. If he wants that, then the contract value and term have to be reduced. Leads to a cap hit of 6M per year, close to market value now and becomes more affordable with age and inflation of the cap. I know people will point to his declining performance, however the last two years he's had significant injuries that hamper his mobility (knee last year and core/foot this year), and yet he still played most of the games and put up decent numbers. I am assuming that if he is healthy next year he will rebound to a range near the upper new normal for points, which will make him worth the salary.

Sutter & Bennett for Staal at draft plus pitt gets canes 1st.
- joescullz

LOL

When E Staal was at his best he was playing on the wing without the pressure of the "C". Market for him is probably in the $7 - 7.5 million. I would be happy if the Canes could resign him with maybe a $1 million home team discount. I would like to see someone else wear the C and push Staal to the wing and see if he can reignite his scoring touch. He does not appear to be having fun in his current role. It seems more of a burden to him. It would be nice to see that tall kid who skated with so much enthusiasm to reappear.
- Barbecued Hockey

Other than last year, Staal has played C almost non-stop since his rookie season...

Sutter & Bennett for Staal at draft plus pitt gets canes 1st.
- joescullz

- PoketheBear

I had to go back and look. I thought, "Hey, Sam Bennett? (frank) yeah!" at first, but then realized he said Sutter... and that it was a Penguins fan....

I had to go back and look. I thought, "Hey, Sam Bennett? (frank) yeah!" at first, but then realized he said Sutter... and that it was a Penguins fan....
- BINGO!

Sam Bennett for Eric Staal would be a deal you take every day And twice on Sunday. A start the car start the car moment.

Eric Staal and a first for garbage. Might be the most utterly ridiculous trade proposal I've ever seen. That includes some of the wild stuff I've seen Leafs fans come up with.

Joe sculllz: if your serious about that trade, your a idiot.
Staal and our number 1, you are clueless.
If Staal does not agree to a 3 year, $5M or $5.5m trade him.
Rutherford was and is an idiot signing Jordan for $6M, he is a $4M player if your lucky and Eric is worth a little more!
Skinner is not worth &6M, another Rutherfird GEM.
As I said earlier earlier, Eric is not Stamkos, Getzlaf, Perry, Toews, etc. Half of what he is currently making or slightly more is barely acceptable, no more.
You can get to solid players for his $9.2M (OMG, $58M for a player who is not playmaker or natural scorer, a minus player almost every year and and does not play a physical game.
Give the "C" to Justin Faulk!!!!!!

Joe sculllz: if your serious about that trade, your a idiot.
Staal and our number 1, you are clueless.
If Staal does not agree to a 3 year, $5M or $5.5m trade him.
Rutherford was and is an idiot signing Jordan for $6M, he is a $4M player if your lucky and Eric is worth a little more!
Skinner is not worth &6M, another Rutherfird GEM.
As I said earlier earlier, Eric is not Stamkos, Getzlaf, Perry, Toews, etc. Half of what he is currently making or slightly more is barely acceptable, no more.
You can get to solid players for his $9.2M (OMG, $58M for a player who is not playmaker or natural scorer, a minus player almost every year and and does not play a physical game.
Give the "C" to Justin Faulk!!!!!!
- Raleighwood

Eric Staal has more goals and points than every other player in his draft year.

More than:

Ryan Getzlaf
Corey Perry
Tomas Vanek
Mike Richards
Zach Parise
Patrice Bergeron
Jeff Carter
Ryan Kesler
Joe Pavelski
etc etc etc

But thank you for your well thought out contribution to this discussion.

Eric Staal has more goals and points than every other player in his draft year.

More than:

Ryan Getzlaf
Corey Perry
Tomas Vanek
Mike Richards
Zach Parise
Patrice Bergeron
Jeff Carter
Ryan Kesler
Joe Pavelski
etc etc etc

But thank you for your well thought out contribution to this discussion.
- BINGO!

Carter and Richards have more sobriety chips and STDs than the rest of that list.

Eric Staal has more goals and points than every other player in his draft year.

More than:

Ryan Getzlaf
Corey Perry
Tomas Vanek
Mike Richards
Zach Parise
Patrice Bergeron
Jeff Carter
Ryan Kesler
Joe Pavelski
etc etc etc

But thank you for your well thought out contribution to this discussion.
- BINGO!

He's also the only one of those, aside from Vanek and Richards, that has his value to a team in question. He is not in the same league as any of them (again, aside from Vanek and Richards), and the comparison is laughable.

He's also the only one of those, aside from Vanek and Richards, that has his value to a team in question. He is not in the same league as any of them (again, aside from Vanek and Richards), and the comparison is laughable.
- dps0610

dps: Completely agree! The guy who cares about a few extra total points Eric Staal has over this group is clueless (most of his points are due to other line mates working hard to get him the puck - he is not a playmaker like the other players on that list).
I still say make Faulk the Captain!!!

Rutherford needs to do a deal with the Canes, to get us out of the mess he has put the organization in with these pathetic contracts (trade Semin (I know no one will take him, but Rutherford deserves this contract, not the Canes) and Eric Staal for Malkin or E Staal and Skinner for Malkin)

Eric Staal has more goals and points than every other player in his draft year.

More than:

Ryan Getzlaf
Corey Perry
Tomas Vanek
Mike Richards
Zach Parise
Patrice Bergeron
Jeff Carter
Ryan Kesler
Joe Pavelski
etc etc etc

But thank you for your well thought out contribution to this discussion.
- BINGO!

Who CARES about the points, your clueless!! These players are leaders and get their teams to the playoffs!!! Everyone of them has outperformed E Staal the the past 5 out of 6 years (and I am giving Staal credit for a half season, but if it was not for Semin setting up staal 90% of the time that half season, Staal would have had 1/2 the point total).

Who CARES about the points, your clueless!! These players are leaders and get their teams to the playoffs!!! Everyone of them has outperformed E Staal the the past 5 out of 6 years (and I am giving Staal credit for a half season, but if it was not for Semin setting up staal 90% of the time that half season, Staal would have had 1/2 the point total).
- Raleighwood

lol

More importantly... was Eric Staal the main Zombie from the movie "I am Lengend"?

You decide.