2010-11 Canes Country Exit Analysis: Eric Staal
by Carolyn Christians on Aug 4, 2011 10:30 AM EDT
in 2010-11 Exit Analysis
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If the operative word for the Carolina Hurricanes 2010-11 season was "transitional," then it was transitional and then some for the 26-year-old franchise centerpiece, Eric Staal. In his first full season as captain of the team, the year brought one new challenge after another for Staal; much of it lived at the center of the spotlight.
Consider the tremendous personnel turnover on the roster, including two alternate captains who were new to their roles as well. Add in a ridiculously rough travel schedule (with the October from hell) and his unprecedented role as the Uber-All-Star for three days in January, and clearly his off-ice role this season was more vital and even more visible than ever before.
On the ice, as Jim Rutherford's cornerstone centerman with a commensurate salary, Staal was asked to carry the load for the team pretty much everywhere across the whole 200 x 85, except maybe inside the paint of Cam Ward's goal. Staal accepted the role and the pressure with humility and confidence.
So how do we as fans evaluate a player of whom so much is expected? Is the blame for a season finishing in the bottom half of the standings to be considered a failure of leadership? So much of this Exit Analysis series comes down to expectations and results and where the two diverge. How do we measure out what portion of our disappointment in April is "on" Staal, what is "on" Coach Paul Maurice? Or should it be traced farther up the food chain to Rutherford or owner Peter Karmanos, Jr.?
Eric Staal
#12 / Center / Carolina Hurricanes
6-4
205
Oct 29, 1984
The Good
No one can question how much the Hurricanes rely on Eric Staal when they see these Iron Man stats:
- In the NHL for the 2010-11 regular season, he was a very close third among forwards for Time on Ice, both average per game and total minutes played, behind Corey Perry and Ilya Kovalchuk. And Kovy didn't get nearly the strenuous shorthanded time. Both numbers were new career highs for #12. For reference, Staal's TOI Average was higher than the likes of Alex Ovechkin, Jonathan Toews, and Ryan Kesler.
- Since they publish this stat, Staal had highest average number of shifts per game than any NHL forward this season, with 27.5. Okay then.
- Eric Staal took more faceoffs than any other player in the NHL this season, by nearly 100 over Toews, and also a new career high for him.
Related to TOI, the centerman suffered an upper body (head) injury vs Pittsburgh on February 25, and missed one road game vs the Canadiens. Staal also incurred a lower-body injury on March 22, vs Ottawa, later identified as a strained groin. We learned from Maurice following the Game 82 loss, that the injury never healed, instead getting "worse and worse," but he played at or near 20 minutes per game for 7 of the remaining 9 games.
Staal put up more points (76) in the regular season than he had in three years. Among NHL players for 10-11, he finished 12th for goals scored, 11th for points scored, 7th for powerplay goals scored, 7th for game winners.
Among the Canes players, Staal ranked first for G, A, Pts, PPG, SHG, Shots, TOI (among forwards), Faceoffs taken, and Faceoffs won. He dominated the team's scoring across the board, even with Jeff Skinner in the mix. How much more can one guy do?
Let's talk about Faceoffs
Beyond scoring goals, Staal became Maurice's #1 choice in the faceoff circle. We all know that early on this season the faceoff win percentage for the team was at historically low levels, hovering below 40%. Staal's numbers were significant contributors to that figure, and not in a good way. But looking at the stat line we see that his 48% final number is great improvement from previous years and a long way from where he started in the fall.
To see what it took to change the numbers so radically, I focused on the 31 games following the All-Star Break. Without going through 31 gamesheets, I can't give your the exact win percentage over that period, but I did a graph to show how the numbers broke down, per game. I made the "neutral line" at 50% and all points above filled in red; games where he won less than 50% are gray. I also added a line to indicate his personal season average of 48% and the team's overall statistic, which was 44.6% for the season, 29th in the NHL (Edmonton was last at 44.4%).
With a lot more red (>50%) than gray (<50%), even with the injury, his improvement is apparent, and well over 50% for the last push down the stretch. If that trend continues in 2011-12, Canes fans may be able to relax a bit on this matter.
[Click on image to see full size]
The Bad
In his exit interview [video - 9 mins] Staal was asked by Bob Wage where the players needed to improve to push the team over the top and get to the postseason next year. Staal seemed to say the primary culprit for failing to make the playoffs was the lapses in team defense, including the forwards, who needed to focus on their responsibilities when playing in the Canes end of the ice. One of the standard "issues" with Staal over the years (and blaming Staal is a sport unto itself in North Carolina) is that he "cheats" positionally, tends to devote more energy to scoring goals and not attending to his defensive responsibilities as an elite #1 NHL center should. This season we all watched him display a new level of commitment, becoming a conspicuous force across the full 200-feet of the rink. When he was dedicated to that, good things happened for the whole team. Problems were more likely to crop up when Staal, for whatever reason which may have been rooted in the best of intentions, strayed from that role. The difference was enough to define a game.
It's a statistic that is often regarded as suspect, but Staal's plus/minus of -10 was a career low. The second worst was at -8 in 2005-06, his only 100-point season. Staal was -4 in the final game of the season vs Tampa Bay, and therefore at -6 for the previous 80 games. Put it all together, and it doesn't tell me a whole lot.
For me, the Hurricanes put their playoff chances on life support with some uninspired losses in the weeks following the All Star break. Those losses, three in particular, all at home and which were the 2nd halves of back-to-backs, (to the Devils - Feb 19, Columbus - Mar 12 and Toronto - March 16) had a bigger impact than one horrific do-or-die period vs the Lightning April 9th. Inexplicably, the team lacked the focus and urgency to win those nights where the challenge shouldn't have been too big, and when it would get them up over the red line. How could that happen? Those are the times that your Captain needs to do his share to get everyone in the right frame of mind for the next game. As a group, they weren't ready and we might agree there is plenty of blame to go around.
Staal's penalties are worth some attention as well. Of the top 25 scorers in the league, only Cory Perry (104) and Steven Stamkos (74) exceeded Staal's 72 PIM. (The average PIM for the top 25 is just under 40 minutes) The "Splits" tab at NHL.com's Eric Staal page shows that 17 of his 33 minor penalties were for Slashing (7), Tripping (6) and Cross-checking (4). This occasional lack of discipline, often enough at the worst possible game situation, has been part of the frustration for Staal critics and bolster the argument that he is selfish or immature. Others defend him to say every player retaliates, he's just not sneaky enough to get away with it.
It's hard to look at all the good and say the penalties ruin the player's successes. But these are moments that are seemingly under his control. When they happen with frequency, it detracts unnecessarily from the positive impact he has on the game.
The Money
Eric Staal was the highest paid player on the team at $7.5 million salary for 2010-11. His cap hit is at $8.25 million for a 7-year contract that runs 5 more years to 2016. He also has a no trade clause. According to CapGeek.com, Staal's cap hit is the fourth highest in the NHL, behind only Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby.
* * * * * * * *
As the most recognizable face of Carolina hockey, Staal enjoys and endures the privilege of the most scrutiny and most criticism whenever the team's results fall short. I'm not sure he gets the equivalent praise when things go right. Life all alone in the spot light is no doubt thrilling. And yep, that's why he makes the big bucks.
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There are two types here – those that are big Staal Fans or the ones that get very very very very very very defensive when people are critical of him.
Personally, I like Staal. It is amazing when he can take over a game. But there’s a saying “Great players aren’t always great…they are just great when they have to be.”
And when I see the team needing to win an important faceoff – he’s out there but it seems he loses those key faceoffs the team has to have.
It seems like when the team needs him to come through…he’s not always there…and I think that’s what makes many frustrated with the team’s star forward.
People say his skating is lazy – but I dispute that. Look how long his strides are..that makes it look a lot more effortless than it is.
Edit
it should read the Staal detractor and the ones that are big Staal fans…many of which who can get very very very very very defensive…
by Adam's Journey on Aug 4, 2011 10:50 AM EDT up reply actions
His skating is often lazy. Those slashing and tripping penalties mentioned are penalties of laziness – reaching with his stick to defend, rather than using his legs to get or stay in the play.
+12
one of his few shortcomings, but very obvious when watching in person when you can see him after the play, yapping as he glides to the bench and glares on the players and refs on the ice
Of Maurice, Karmanos said: "I’m happy Paul is back but he’s going to be judged the same way as any other coach. We need to win more consistently."
by Sergeant Stinky on Aug 5, 2011 4:42 PM EDT up reply actions
Solid mid to high B
Really well written review Carolyn. :)
Disclaimer: I have never been a key member of the Staal fan club. There are some players that just drive me up the wall and he’s one of them.
That being said, this year I felt probably the largest amount of warm and fuzzies for him that I’ve ever been able to. I thought he adjusted to being the captain quite admirably and handled the added difficulty of leading a fairly new roster well. I was equally impressed with what a fantastic ambassador he was during the ASG. Those things matter to me.
I appreciate his improvement in the FO circle (nice graph by the way) and looking back on the season feel as if there were less games where I thought “where was he?!” than in years past. The ill-timed penalties continue to bother me, but perhaps that’s still a work in progress. I hope that next year he shows the same level of committment to both ends of the ice that I saw quite a few times last season.
"What Carolina really has going for them is Brandon Sutter. When that kid first showed up, he looked like a skinny little thing that wouldn’t last two weeks. But he’s turned into a real star."
High B^^^
Nice write up yourself, Caniacgirl.
Staal had probably his best all-around season last year. It was a joy to watch. He was much better defensively than he’s ever been, but as he clearly stated, that is a club wide problem. (I wonder, do the other players listen to each other’s exit interviews; do the coaches?). There are quite a few Staal complainers who were pleased by his play this year. And that’s a reflection of his improved defensive play.
We can’t have our #1 guy sitting so often in the penalty box. I understand his competitive nature, but he’s much too emotional at times and that comes back to bite him in the proverbial butt.
I’d love to see Staal be a more consistent goal scorer, but I’m not sure that’s the player he is. He’s streaky and scores in bunches. It was great to see the Finns pick up the slack.
I don’t know how Staal will do this coming season with Cole gone, but Ponikarovsky is HUGE and can drive through neutral ice and is a more straight away skater. If he’s paired with Staal (and I’m betting that’s a line-up being looked at) he’ll open up ice for Eric.
Harrumph
I agree a lot with the previous two posts. I gave Staal an A based on expectations most would rate him lower. He was A-/B+ edge this last year. Overall he did everything that was expected of him: He led the team in scoring, heck he pretty much led in everything. He worked hard on his face-offs, he worked harder this year on defense. He’s a consistent top scorer in the league.
The reason he’s not a solid A is the penalty situation. In that regard, there are several explanations/reasons/excuses/whatever. But mainly, 1. He’s a competitor and he wants to win so it gets frustrating when the team is not putting in the effort to win—gotta control that frustration. 2. He played a heck of a lot more minutes than he has previously, and especially when you consider he picked up a lot of PK minutes (plus we’ve already covered how he worked harder on the defensive end) he had to be more fatigued than peviously in his career. Most of the penaltie he got can be considered “Lazy” penalties, but in Staal’s case, I feel he had a lot of “tired” penalties—that the coach has to work on and trust other players (we have some new additions + Skinner to help with that) to play when it counts.
Overall, it’s hard to fault Staal’s play. I disagree with one of the previous posts about Staal not coming up with the key face-offs—He did many times, but it’s just easier to remember the times he doesn’t. Last I checked, even Brind’Amour lost over 40% of his draws—and that too at all phases of the game…
It’s also hard to always come up with the winning goal when the other team sends out their best and they focus on you. I don’t think we should pair STaal and Skiner together, but spread the talent, but much like Pitt does with Sid and Geno, when we’re down and need a goal, then put those to out together and see what they can do.
Last point—for his pay, he’s doing well, but, realistically, for that money he should be an 82 point guy each year. He’s got the skill to do it…
i have to go with this tired argument (but it remains mine):
as long as staal is consistently drawing the top defenders from each team, he will SEEM inconsistent.
you cant beat the top defenders every night, and i imagine every fan base has this same conversation about their top players on varying levels depending on what you expect from your players.
i agree that staal had a great year, and i think games are won by the game changers on your team, and staal, ward and skinner are definately that (among possibly many others), and im afraid that so was cole (last season). he will be missed
"a bit of love"
Well i rated the good
Captain as a High “B” as well…and while some will like/love to point out Staals faults,but one has to admit the guy gave 150% this last season…wounded and all…Thanks Miss Carolyn..good effort appreciated it alot…Go Canes !!
What did you do during the summer when the playoffs are over ?
Go Canes & Checkers !!
He was the best regular forward on the team in terms of scoring chances, which doesn’t surprise me one bit. Although, I was hoping he’d have a higher SC% than 50.1% because I feel like he can do better. He still outperformed almost all of his teammates and did well against some really tough competition. He was the best player on the team not named Cam Ward.
www.shutdownline.com
Thanks – that’s interesting to see.
Twitter @HMof2
by Carolyn Christians on Aug 4, 2011 1:00 PM EDT up reply actions
Would have been an A if . . .
It wasn’t for the early season inconsistencies. And, had the team made the playoffs, I would have forgotten about that. As such, it’s a B.
Eric Staal was as dominant of a player as there is in the NHL the last half of the year. Everything about his game took a step in the right direction in the second half of the season. He was committed defensively, he played with his size and muscled guys off the puck, he made the players around him better (although I still think there is some room for improvement here), he began to win face offs consistently, and he was a true leader.
I criticized Staal early in the year for his undisciplined play, going so far as to back up Brad Watson for calling Staal for a cross-check while the team was already down two men. That player at the start of the year was in no way shape or form the same player at the end of the year.
Part of me wants to grade him up to an “A” because the team did so much better than it probably should have last year. I just can’t bring myself to do that, though. He’s the captain, highest paid player, and best player, so the grading on him needs to be strict, hence the “B”. Now, if he plays the upcoming season the way he did the last half of the previous season he’s no doubt an “A”.
Don't trust me. I have psychological issues.
B
I never forget he’s below 50% in the circle, but I did forget how bad he has been in the past before this year. I guess you have to give credit where it’s due – glad Carolyn posted that year over year stat.
I still long for the 100pt season of 05-06. If he could do that again… A’s for everyone!
C to go along with the one on his sweater
other tier 1 forwards draw the other team’s best defenders, but they still rise above on a more consistent basis that Staal does. He has talent, I’m just waiting for him to grow into that letter on his chest and lead this team into the playoffs.
Of Maurice, Karmanos said: "I’m happy Paul is back but he’s going to be judged the same way as any other coach. We need to win more consistently."
And what kind of supporting casts do these other teams have?? Was LaRose playing on their line? Did the Sedin twins rise above Boston’s best defenders this year? Same for Stamkos?? Both had seven games to do so and failed.
Looking at the number of 30 goal seasons Staal has had, his ppg avaerage it’s insane to argue he doesn’t rise above the other teams best defenders on a consistent basis. Consistent doesn’t mean everynight…. (well, unless your name was Gretzky, but last I checked, he had scoreless games too—guess he didn’t deserve an A?)
You’re a little off base this time Stinky.
well, he finished 5th in goals, 4th in scoring (ahead of some pretty top tier centermen) for centermen and led all centermen in ice time per game. How does that deserve a C? Please eloborate. Oh and the 48% in the faceoff circle doesn’t look as bad when the guy in 2nd took a 1,000 less faceoffs.
here are those vigilant staal apologists the author warned about above *sigh*
Of Maurice, Karmanos said: "I’m happy Paul is back but he’s going to be judged the same way as any other coach. We need to win more consistently."
by Sergeant Stinky on Aug 4, 2011 4:30 PM EDT up reply actions
basically, to answer the questions above, had Staal risen above his LaRose linemate and lack of supporting cast, he would have gotten a B or A in my book. Because he could not overcome that, he gets a C, which is average. He could not get us over the hump and into the playoffs on his back. Again, a C. Faceoffs, 48% is a C in my book. The guy in 2nd had nothing to do with Staal’s faceoff percentage, nor with the numbert of times he got booted out of the circle.
as for Squeaky83 references to stamkos and sedins, um, they kinda went far in the playoffs, which we could not even get in.
Of Maurice, Karmanos said: "I’m happy Paul is back but he’s going to be judged the same way as any other coach. We need to win more consistently."
by Sergeant Stinky on Aug 4, 2011 4:33 PM EDT up reply actions
your really going to compare Stamkos and Sedins supporting cast to Staal’s? That’s a 1,000 faceoffs, it does matter, especially with the way he started the season.
by Go_Shelf on Aug 4, 2011 4:37 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
skinner
cole
ruutu
jokinen
sutter
not too shabby a supporting cast…
Of Maurice, Karmanos said: "I’m happy Paul is back but he’s going to be judged the same way as any other coach. We need to win more consistently."
by Sergeant Stinky on Aug 4, 2011 5:50 PM EDT up reply actions
sorry that doesn’t equal the depth of Vancouver & Tampa, especially on the back end, it’s a 5 man game remember
I agree!
St. Louis & LeCavalier and either Sedin, Kesler, maybe even Burrows are superior to the Staal’s teammates from last season. That’s not saying the Canes players aren’t very good, but not the level of Tampa’s & Vancover’s.
Here's the SKINNy, the All-STAAL game was CAMtastic!
good point
Of Maurice, Karmanos said: "I’m happy Paul is back but he’s going to be judged the same way as any other coach. We need to win more consistently."
by Sergeant Stinky on Aug 5, 2011 4:41 PM EDT up reply actions
Sutter is garbage as an offensive player.
Advance apologies if the contents of this sports-based post offended you. I'm just aiming to educate the masses. My law professor says they're asses.
Panthers '011: This is what we've been waiting for...we get to overpay the core of a 2-14 team!
by MichaelProcton on Aug 7, 2011 12:35 AM EDT up reply actions
Dude
I responded to the main part of your post—Staal doesn’t rise above other team’s top defensive pairings enough to warrant an A. Your coounter arguments still do not show any movement away from a stubborn, illogical assessment, and only uses (in your opinion) a playoff spot as pass fail for an individual’s grade potential…
….As others mentioned, being in the top ten in many categories, while on a team with less top end talent (as you’ve pointed out elsewhere) so you are even more the focus of the defense, and scoring over thirty goals pretty consistently season after season 99% of fans would say is the definition of consistently rising above other teams top defense.
Lastly, it takes a team to make the playoffs. One guy can’t win it and get us there alone. If that were the case, and one guy could do it for the entire team, then the Caps would have won a cup every year on Ovechkin’s back, or Pitt would have won the cup every year on Crosby’s back. Yet that doesn’t happen either.
I give you credit for a lot of your opinions and share some of your views, but on this your argument seems more about urealistic and unsupportable contentions.
Oh, and I make no apologies for players, but I will challenge thoughts and ideas without valid support to try to find out if the person is coming from a position of open minded criticism and assessment or close miinded stubborness.
he had an average year and did nothing extraordinary to merit anything above a C last season is all I’m saying. Never said I hated the guy.
Of Maurice, Karmanos said: "I’m happy Paul is back but he’s going to be judged the same way as any other coach. We need to win more consistently."
by Sergeant Stinky on Aug 4, 2011 5:51 PM EDT up reply actions
Staal is a beast and we have come to expect a certain high level of play from him. I suppose for Stink when he just meets those expecations he gets a C.
For me Staal plays at high standard against what is always the other teams best defensive line or they throw their top offensive line out against him. The other team always puts their best D tandem out against him and often he is double teamed with very little time and space.
Most top echelon teams in the league have true top line talent. Staal has at best only ever had one top tier winger and often none. Our 2nd line has never been so fear inspiring that other teams worry about them so the focus often remains just on Staal. All that attention takes its toll game in and game out. There are times that shows in his play but I simply cannot rate him below a B.
stats tell part of the story
regular season for staal, Year, Goals, Assists, +/-
2005 – 45, 55, -8
2006 – 30, 40, -6
2007 – 38, 44, -2
2008 – 40, 35, +15
2009 – 29, 41, +4
2010 – 33, 43, -10
what’s not average about last year when you look at these?
Of Maurice, Karmanos said: "I’m happy Paul is back but he’s going to be judged the same way as any other coach. We need to win more consistently."
by Sergeant Stinky on Aug 5, 2011 1:33 PM EDT up reply actions
So you’re saying they are average for Staal? I mean, if we were to expand upon that line of thinking the only players that could get an A are those that wildly out pace their career averages. There’s no taking in to account how that player average stacks up league wide, only how a player did relative to himself.
Okay,
Here are Steven Stamkos’s stats for the last two years (GP, G, A, Pts, +/-):
2010 – 11 82 45 46 91 3
2009 – 10 82 51 44 95 -2
Guy finishes second to Corey Perry for the Hart, but since he did improve considerably, and even scored fewer goals and points, he gets a “C”?
Don't trust me. I have psychological issues.
I must be missing something
Staal has regular seasons where he scores 40, 45 goals; this season he scores 33. Staal has regular seasons where he tallies 44, 55 assists; this season he has 43. He’s been as good as a +15, this season he was a -10. Compared to other seasons, this one, for Staal, is pretty much average, unless I’m missing something.
Of Maurice, Karmanos said: "I’m happy Paul is back but he’s going to be judged the same way as any other coach. We need to win more consistently."
by Sergeant Stinky on Aug 5, 2011 4:40 PM EDT up reply actions
well, he finished 5th in goals, 4th in scoring (ahead of some pretty top tier centermen) for centermen and led all centermen in ice time per game.
From Go Shelf.
That’s how Staal stacks up to the rest of the centers in the league. You can’t say he had an average season for himself and give him a “C” for that when he arguably had one of the best seasons for a center in the league. That logic doesn’t hold up. It’s like saying Karl Malone or Reggie Miller only deserved a “C” in the seasons they were going up against Jordan because they did about their career averages and they weren’t the best. It’s an absolutely ludicrous standard. It’s like saying Paul Maurice is bad with young players but Sutter and Skinner and Jussi don’t count. You’ve gamed the system to get an answer you want. You’ve selected a metric that in no way makes sense.
To only compare Staals stats this season to his career numbers to gauge his grade and not compare those numbers to the rest of the league is a level of judging that is so ridiculous that again I must ask, are you serious or are you trolling?
Seriously, if you want to say “I hate Staal because I do” then do that. Don’t create some bogus metric then us that try to justify your belief. Own up to your bias.
Don't trust me. I have psychological issues.
Actually, I certainly can say he had an average season for himself and give him a C. I just did. And I have the stats to back-up what I’m saying: he is a GREAT player who has had BETTER seasons, hence a C this past year. By his own standards, he had an average year.
In no way, shape, or form do I hate Staal. Never said I did, so don’t put words in my mouth. Mr. Staal is by far the best player on our team, save for Cam Ward, and is one of the top players in the league. When he’s on top of his game, he’s hard to defend, regardless of who he’s playing with.
I hope that clears that up.
Of Maurice, Karmanos said: "I’m happy Paul is back but he’s going to be judged the same way as any other coach. We need to win more consistently."
by Sergeant Stinky on Aug 5, 2011 5:35 PM EDT up reply actions
of course, you are welcome to interpret the actual statistics of any player as you deem fit, and judge accordingly using your own metrics
Of Maurice, Karmanos said: "I’m happy Paul is back but he’s going to be judged the same way as any other coach. We need to win more consistently."
by Sergeant Stinky on Aug 5, 2011 5:37 PM EDT up reply actions
I’d much rather judge Staal by who did and didn’t hang out with him at Casino Night.
Phoblographer
by Jamie Kellner on Aug 5, 2011 6:10 PM EDT up reply actions
So by that logic I guess we can look at your statistics in presenting logical arguments and using our own metrics we can judge accordingly and give you a grade as a poster on this Blog……F
by sittler27 on Aug 6, 2011 12:31 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Staal, Skinner, Stewart & Kevin Weekes' comments
I think Staal did more with less than about any other first line center. I do have high hopes for Stewart. Kevin Weekes gave an interview on OTR where he included the comment that he saw Stewart as a 25+ goal a year player. Watching Stewart’s highlights, in my mind he has the size, speed, and eye/hand coordination to be that kind of player. It’s going to be a question of A. Stewart coming to camp ready to play the first line minutes that Staal plays. If he does, I think he’ll be excellent with Staal.
I have mixed thoughts about Skinner on Staal’s line. Skinner brings out the best in Staal because Skinner never lets up; and Staal is sufficiently competitive, he won’t want to have somebody outwork him. On the other hand, Skinner/Ruutu seem to be extremely effective together. Jokinen is often overlooked, but once Maurice put Skinner/Ruutu/Jokinen together that line was usually the best line each game for the Hurricanes.
As things stand now, what are your thoughts on Canes draft and Canes roster? Any clue why Bernier is still unsigned? That really seems odd to me.
I liked what Canes did in the draft. Murphy is an exceptional skater, great shot,etc., but he also has that intangible of exceptional hockey sense and vision. He sees the entire ice and senses what is unfolding and light speed. That can’t be taught.
Rask was a gutsy choice but if he gets back to form he will be a steal. Hoffman may the dark horse. He outplayed his countryman Neiderrieter at the last World’s and may develop into an excellent pro. Needs to get stronger.
The Canes are banking on Stewart continuing to his late bloomer development. I did like what I saw of him last year. Pony is an enigma. He has always had the tools but just never put it together consistently. He seems to elevate his game to hus linemates so maybe he is a fit for Staal’s line. I’d give it a shot. Was glad the Canes re-signed Jussi. Ambivalent on Rosey. Sad to see Cole go but Montreal overpaid and I can see JR not matching. If Dalpe makes a seamless transition into the top 6 then the Canes will be just fine up front. I think Brent will be an excellent 4th line center.
Thought resigning Joni was a coupe, especially at the price. And Kaberle is an upgrade over Corvo. But would have liked to see us add another defensive oriented D. I like Allen but prefer to see him a 3rd pairing role.
We are improved in net. Boucher should be a reliable back-up and a good team guy. If Cam can keep his high save % and Boucher can win his share that is a step up.
I would like to see some surprises out of training camp. Breakthrough by say Boychuk or Bowman or Tlusty. That way we may have the option of trading a couple of forwards and/or prospects to upgrade the D further through trade.
My sense of it is that as the team now stands we will compete for a playoff spot. But by adding two key players we could get there comfortably and win a playoff round or two.
Bernier is coming off a $2mil contract year and his stats sure didn’t warrant that. He has had injury issues and has been up and down in weight trying to find a comfortable niche. At 220 he seemed slow and at 200 he seemed easy to push off the puck. He has never had consistency in his game and every time he seemed to get comfortable he was hurt. I think he may have to settle for a one year $1mil contract to re-establish himself. As I recall he is only 26.
The fact that he's one of the better players in the league.
Advance apologies if the contents of this sports-based post offended you. I'm just aiming to educate the masses. My law professor says they're asses.
Panthers '011: This is what we've been waiting for...we get to overpay the core of a 2-14 team!
by MichaelProcton on Aug 7, 2011 12:37 AM EDT up reply actions
A solid B to me…with everything he had on his plate this year he did well. I like him better when his play is tougher, but sometimes that takes him over the top. Perception of him as a person doesn’t give me a “warm fuzzy” like Ruutu or some of the others and he sometimes projects a stuck-on-himself attitude, but I don’t think that’s the real guy. He did a great job during the All Star media frenzy and made our city and our fans look as great as they are.
Watching Hurricanes' hockey is the most fun you can have in Raleigh with your clothes on!!
First things first, this is an outstanding article. I had high expectations for it, which were exceeded.
Same with Eric Staal. He meets my high expectations. I couldn’t be prouder to have him as the captain of my hockey team. And that times 12 for his outstanding ambassadorship when the entire hockey world had its eyes on Raleigh in January.
Phoblographer
Staal = A+ for Me
Staal did everything and more that I think a Hurricanes captain should do. He battled injuries and took a young team within two points of a playoff. I also agree with Jamie that Staal’s character and class with regard to the All Star game made me very proud of him, the team, the organization, and the Caniacs.
I grant you he did that (play at an “A” level) late, but he didn’t do that early in the season. I can’t give a guy who knew from the moment that he was drafted that he would have to take a ton of face-offs and A+ when he waited until he had to take those face offs to practice and improve that skill set. That’s just poor planning. He has to take a knock for that.
He’s got plenty of opportunity to be an A+ player, and if he plays this season the way he played the last 40 games of the previous season he’ll do just that. But it’s incredibly flawed to judge the Captain with rose colored glasses and harp on the shortcomings of a secondary player like LaRose.
Don't trust me. I have psychological issues.
Great Writeup, Carolyn. Above Average performance, Eric
HM, great writing as usual.
There are expectations for average players, and then there are expectations for the guy with the 4th highest salary cap hit in the league.
Faceoffs have improved, but we have to get over 50%. If Staal is the new RBA, he needs to take (and win) the faceoff in the defensive zone with 1 minute to go and a 1 goal lead.
Penalties – my hockey friend has complained about how many times Staal has visited the sin bin at key junctures in the game. Hopefully Poni will be able to retaliate for Staal, which might reduce this number.
Playing time – I blame Staal’s fatigue on Mo – in that Staal was out there on even strength, power play, and he/Cole killed a lot of penalty time. Once he stopped playing PK, his production in other facets improved.
Leadership – a lot of people said he was great in the locker room, and he earned a lot of respect for hosting the ASG as well.
To earn an A, you have to execute some facets of the game as one of the best in the league (scoring, leadership), but you need to be above average in all other facets as well (faceoffs, penalties). I voted B, but would have given a B+ had it been available. I hope you can find the trolls who keep voting “F” on all of these players. Only 6 more weeks until camp opens…
I voted B.
I think he played good. Just not good enough. As captain, he needed to take the team on his shoulders more than Cam Ward did. As Captain, he needed to shine on the ice. He is better than he played. He needs to stop pouting as well and getting frustrated. He’s been in the NHL now long enough where that rookie crap is no longer warranted, nor becoming of a captain.
He also needs to stop gliding.
Ready for the Canes to win the Cup again! :)
He get's a B.
With him we aren’t that good.
But without him we are so screwed…
by SouthernHockeyNutter on Aug 4, 2011 10:29 PM EDT reply actions
B
Question: How do you feel when you see Staal rarely disappear from a game or down on the ice? Thinking……..remembering……….EXACTLY!!! Even the biggest Staal critics will admit how much he means to this team. He has a huge upside and is a league superstar. He is only going to get better.
2 years to the Cup
A-
I voted A-.
The minus is because Staal does sometimes take frustration penalties at very inopportune times.
I don’t think Staal has a supporting cast as strong as some of the other stars mentioned in previous posts. I think Staal’s performance understandably suffers when he’s left on the ice too long.
by curiouscanesfan on Aug 5, 2011 10:34 AM EDT reply actions
A
Best player on the team for a long time now. Earned his Captain C !!
For those who don’t see, or expect perfection, LOOK IN THE MIRROR!!
Are you perfect? get a clue!!!!!
It’s not unreasonable to ask a guy who has been groomed for the C since he was drafted years ago to not take as many poorly timed penalties, to coast less, and to have practiced face offs prior to having to take more face offs. That’s not asking perfection, that’s asking that he step up to the challenge of being the captain and recognizing the responsibility that comes with that. He’s a very very good player, but he had holes in his game early in the season. Holes that we know were fixable because he had fixed them by late in the season.
You don’t have to ask for perfection to think he underperformed early in the season. You just have to be objective.
Don't trust me. I have psychological issues.
Great article, and thanks for the analytical work – very informative. I think the most telling observation in the article were Staal’s exit interview comments about the team’s performance in their own end. I’m hoping that with Cole, Stillman and Sammy gone, their replacements will do some back-checking. The added size of the new guys is going to help as well.
To much Time on Ice
I think Staal is an excellent player, but there were many games where I think he was over used, appearing visibly tired at the end of his shifts. Perhaps some of those penalties came because Staal was a step behind and his competitive nature pushed him to be overly aggresive.
I don’t blame Staal for this, I blame the coach. Maurice needs to spread the ice time over all four lines, he needs to think in terms of the season, not just an individual game. A well rested Staal would likely be more consistant and less likely to take a penalty.
By the end of last season Staal was playing with a groin injury that was obviously slowing him down. Had they squeeked into the playoffs they wouldn’t have gone far.
“Damnit, Fry! He may have done wrong, but he’s still your captain.” – Dr. Zoidberg (Futurama Episode: The Birdbot of Ice-Catraz) 
"It was the best of times, it was the blurst of times..."
by Gramm Matthew Esq. on Aug 6, 2011 6:08 PM EDT reply actions
I’m as huge of a Staal fan as they come and I believe that he had a very good year, but I gave him a B for the season. 33 goals is nothing to scoff at, but he was on pace for 40 before a late season slump. And while he improved his defensive game and faceoffs, he needs to be more consistent in these areas. The Canes ask a lot from Eric and that might be unfair, but he is a superstar and I want him to play that way every night. I definitely don’t think he had a “C” year, but his season could have been better. I hope Dalpe or someone becomes a legit sidekick (because Staal needs some help on his line), but in Staal I trust, because he can do it. My 2 favorite Staal moments from this past season were; the whole All-Star weekend, Staal truely was a great mayor for the Canes and Raleigh that weekend. The other was an away game in Madison Square Garden. With the Canes down and it looking impossible to get one by Hank; Staal laid out, putting his body on the line to put one by the hot goaltender. I believe the Canes eventually lost in OT, but Eric did what he could to get HIS team a point.
Here's the SKINNy, the All-STAAL game was CAMtastic!
by PackPride17 on Aug 6, 2011 10:29 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
A-/B+
Game to Game watchig Staal can be frustrating, but his end of season numbers are always impressive. Season to season he’s a top end player, his frustrations are understanable, he won an Olympic GOLD medal, he’s top 10 ,no doubt, in the league.
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