Should Hurricanes Trade Eric Staal?
The trade rumour mill has been grinding vigorously of late and one
name that has been at the centre is that of Carolina Hurricanes captain, Eric Staal.
Word has been that Staal would be happy to waive his no trade cause and
join the Toronto Maple Leafs instead. At 30 years old and with only one
year left on his contract, this would certainly help lift $8 million
off the Hurricanes salary cap. But the real question is, what would be
the long term effect of letting one of their stars leave?
Ever since their remarkable run to the 2006 Stanley Cup win, the Hurricanes have struggled to be any where near competitive and Raleigh, North Carolina is unlikely to see another cup banner raised any time soon. Eric Staal since being a second overall pick in 2003 has been a solid player for them over the years. His 690 points from just 770 NHL games reads very well, but his plus/minus figures have been consistently dropping recently. Last season amidst a lengthy knee injury, Staal clocked up only 61 points which is worst number since his junior year! His age and durability is beginning to become something of a concern so I cannot see how shipping a veteran to a team like the Maple Leafs is really a winning piece of business for either team?
Nazem Kadri and Tyler Bozak has been mentioned as possible sweeteners for this deal, but frankly trading one average centre for another is unlikely to do wonders for either team. Both Carolina and Toronto needs younger players that they can aim to build franchises around, acquiring an aging player like Staal will only add more figures to the salary cap rather than pushing them towards playoff places. Remember when Jarome Iginla finally bolted from Calgary to join Pittsburgh? Well the result wasn't a happy one for either franchise and since then, Iginla has been through three teams in three seasons trying to find a new home!
Next year Staal will be become a free agent so then he can take his pick over which team can aid his cause better rather than jumping from one sinking franchise to a more established one instead. The Maple Leafs this season are not going anywhere fast, surely Staal's best option is to weight things out and then reassess at the end of the season? Fans in Carolina still adore the Staal brothers, there has also been whispers of his brother Marc Staal possibly joining from free agency next season should the Rangers not re-sign him! Would Eric really want to pass up the chance to play with a team with all four Staal's present and playing?
Carolina right now should save themselves the trouble of trading Staal because outside of this man, this team has little else offensively to back it up. This team needs to find a long term project that works better in the long run rather than being rushed into short term ones that do not have the desired effect. The run up to the trade deadline will be an interesting one to watch!
Ever since their remarkable run to the 2006 Stanley Cup win, the Hurricanes have struggled to be any where near competitive and Raleigh, North Carolina is unlikely to see another cup banner raised any time soon. Eric Staal since being a second overall pick in 2003 has been a solid player for them over the years. His 690 points from just 770 NHL games reads very well, but his plus/minus figures have been consistently dropping recently. Last season amidst a lengthy knee injury, Staal clocked up only 61 points which is worst number since his junior year! His age and durability is beginning to become something of a concern so I cannot see how shipping a veteran to a team like the Maple Leafs is really a winning piece of business for either team?
Nazem Kadri and Tyler Bozak has been mentioned as possible sweeteners for this deal, but frankly trading one average centre for another is unlikely to do wonders for either team. Both Carolina and Toronto needs younger players that they can aim to build franchises around, acquiring an aging player like Staal will only add more figures to the salary cap rather than pushing them towards playoff places. Remember when Jarome Iginla finally bolted from Calgary to join Pittsburgh? Well the result wasn't a happy one for either franchise and since then, Iginla has been through three teams in three seasons trying to find a new home!
Next year Staal will be become a free agent so then he can take his pick over which team can aid his cause better rather than jumping from one sinking franchise to a more established one instead. The Maple Leafs this season are not going anywhere fast, surely Staal's best option is to weight things out and then reassess at the end of the season? Fans in Carolina still adore the Staal brothers, there has also been whispers of his brother Marc Staal possibly joining from free agency next season should the Rangers not re-sign him! Would Eric really want to pass up the chance to play with a team with all four Staal's present and playing?
Carolina right now should save themselves the trouble of trading Staal because outside of this man, this team has little else offensively to back it up. This team needs to find a long term project that works better in the long run rather than being rushed into short term ones that do not have the desired effect. The run up to the trade deadline will be an interesting one to watch!
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