GDT: Canes vs Stars 4/3

[Boardwork]

If Eric was Russian, he would be "enigmatic"

 

[CanadaCanes]

I am sure Eric appreciates his defenders on this board, but I think it is a hard position to take as there is now 11 years of data on him. He has scored over 80 points only twice in those 11 years. His year of 100 points was in his second year, was 9 years ago, and pretty clearly looks like an anomaly. Over his 11 years now he is averaging about 74 points per 82 games...which is actually pretty good but not at superstar level his paycheck puts him in.

Eric is what he is at this point and isn't going to suddenly change. He is a good player that struggles with effort and consistency issues. He is also overpaid in comparison to his peers. Look at Joe Thornton as someone with a cap hit and salary of close to $1.75 million less per season as where Eric should be contract wise. You could even make argument Eric is not at Thornton's level as he doesn't make other around him better...but I will ignore that for now. I blame JR mainly for the bad contract (which generates most of the Eric hate around here), but Eric shoulders blame too as he has the physical ability to put up better numbers and also make those around him better.

For whatever reason he just doesn't seem to want to dedicate himself over the long haul to put up the results we all hope for. He shows glimpses over short periods (like last year) but it never seems to last and that is my biggest frustration with him.

All great points! He seems like an ideal second line center behind a premier first line center moving forward...the contract is way out of line based on effort and leadership...two things he must absolutely bring each and every game to justify the C and the money he is being paid. If #12 was just a 60-65 point guy that left it all out on the ice each and every game and led by example I would be ok with that, but to wear the C and be the franchise poster boy and then go out there many a nights and sulk and pout and take lazy penalties is where it ends for me in terms of defending the guy any longer.

He had some great years here, just like Cam, but it's time to turn the page and move on!

 

[jeffbear]

I am sure Eric appreciates his defenders on this board, but I think it is a hard position to take as there is now 11 years of data on him.

I'm not sure who exactly you think is defending the guy on this board. I know I've always tried to reconcile some comments I've viewed as over the top with what I see as reality, but I don't really see anyone breaking a sweat talking about how well he's performed for the Hurricanes this season. He's been terrible ... to the extent you can be terrible while still amassing a halfway decent points total. Bottom line ... the guy is getting paid like a Top 10 forward in the league and he's on pace for 60-something points and a double digit minus total. There's really no way to defend that.

I also don't feel like the team's problems are all rolled up into Eric Staal either. He's A problem, not THE problem. IMO no one player can be THE problem.

 

[stilltheman]

I'm not sure who exactly you think is defending the guy on this board. I know I've always tried to reconcile some comments I've viewed as over the top with what I see as reality, but I don't really see anyone breaking a sweat talking about how well he's performed for the Hurricanes this season. He's been terrible ... to the extent you can be terrible while still amassing a halfway decent points total. Bottom line ... the guy is getting paid like a Top 10 forward in the league and he's on pace for 60-something points and a double digit minus total. There's really no way to defend that.

I also don't feel like the team's problems are all rolled up into Eric Staal either. He's A problem, not THE problem. IMO no one player can be THE problem.

This was the point I was trying to make.

 

[dwind]

One player, especially one like Eric the elder, can make a huge difference in how the team plays.
If he slacks off the others will also. If he plays hard, shows grit and truculence so will the others.
How about a staal for ovechkin trade?

 

[jeffbear]

One player, especially one like Eric the elder, can make a huge difference in how the team plays.
If he slacks off the others will also. If he plays hard, shows grit and truculence so will the others.

True to a degree ... but there's plenty of failing leadership on this team to go around. Veteran players in particular don't need somebody else to show them how to play. Like I say ... Eric has been a problem, I'm not arguing that point. What I dismiss is this idea that if Carolina would just get rid of Eric Staal (or everybody named Staal, which also seems popular) then everything will be fine.

It won't. This mess is bigger than one guy and I think everybody knows that if they slow down and think about it for a minute.

 

[cmon3]

I just don't see any other guys in position to be the leader. 12 is head and shoulders above the rest of the vets in terms of salary, wearing the C, being the posterboy, being here the longest, having been on the Cup team etc. Not sure who else can lead if he doesn't. It seems that his leadership drowns out the rest of the leadership. We're not a team dripping with established highly respected veterans, so if 12 leads poorly, it doesn't matter much what Malholtra does. Most of the better players on this team are young. Personally I think the Lindholm/Skinner/Nash line stepping things up of late is somewhat due to those guys deciding to turn it up in spite of 12 not doing it.

I really think Staal12's problem is ice time. He gets too much and his shifts are too long. He's ALWAYS been a guy to reach for the puck instead of taking an extra stride to body the opponent or get to the puck. He's always been a guy to loop instead of hockey stop and fire out the other direction. That's lazy hockey OR it's tired hockey. If it's lazy it's on him. If it's conditioning it's on him. I think it's too long of shifts (which is also on him) and too much ice time, which is not on him. If I was the coach or GM, I'd shorten his shifts and get on him when he overstays on the ice, and I'd cut his ice time until I started seeing a guy who can put forth the appropriate effort. I'd tell him if he wants more ice time, then I need to see that effort level not drop off as the time goes up.

He has been treated too nicely here, and I think it's allowed him to get soft, or really never forced him to toughen up.

 

[jeffbear]

I've said this before ... but it's on point.

If you're THAT dependent on one guy to provide leadership, then your whole structure is screwed up. No one player is capable of carrying that burden by himself.