Jordan Staal's name has been trending in Buffalo for the past couple of months now. The chatter and buzz that is associated with Staal's name is intensifying by the day.
Teams are contacting Pittsburgh to inquire about the availability of the stud centre man. I've been told that Buffalo are among the teams interested in Staal, whose Penguins were booted from the playoffs by the Flyers last month.
Darcy Regier has sharpened his pencil and is presently seeking a big, scoring, veteran centre who will plug-n-play directly into Buffalo's top six.
Staal can do it all.
At 23 years of age, Staal has one year left on his contract with the Pens. He can opt to go to free agency next Summer and then sell himself as a #1 centre to a number of teams. Or, he can opt , where he can sign a new contract to stay in Pittsburgh, and ride the coat tails of top centres Crosby and Malkin for the rest of his existence. Talk out of Pittsburgh is that Ray Shero is intent on re-signing Staal and Crosby to long term deals. Each player will become UFA on July 1, 2014. Geno Malkin has two years left on his present deal.
Shero's pipe dream is to keep his "Big 3" centres and have them live happily ever after. I don't see it happening.
The mathematics do not work in Staal's favor in Pittsburgh. Sidney Crosby as will Pascal Dupuis, Matt Cooke, and Craig Adams. Crosby enters the last season of his deal with an $8.7 million cap hit; Staal $4 million; Dupuis $1.5 million, and Cooke $1.8 million.
There aren't enough dollars, minutes, or pucks for that matter in Pittsburgh to keep Staal, Crosby, and Malkin happy.
Staal would be a fool to pass up a trade opportunity. I believe it when Shero says that he wants to keep his core group of centres intact. Who wouldn't want to lock up the three centres---Staal, Crosby, and Malkin-- who helped the Pens win a recent Stanley Cup?
Staal is a man with many options right now. On locker clean out day last month, Staal was asked what the incentive is for him to stay in Pittsburgh.
thanks, penguins.com
I totally understand Staal's loyalty loyal to the boys in the room and the city of Pittsburgh, where he arrived an 18 year old prospect. Today, he's a 23 year old stanley Cup champion who's about to enter to enter the prime years of his stellar career. He's not a third liner. He's a top six. To say that Staal is a highly sought after man is the under statement of the century.
Stall led his team in goal scoring against the Flyers. During the regular season, his ice time and point totals soared while Crosby was out of the lineup with injuries. He got a taste of the good life.
Why wouldn't he want to be the #1 centre on a club like Buffalo?
Lets rewind to April and to Dan Bylsma's season ending presser.
The onus is on coach Dan Bylsma to cut up and distribute the minutes in the Pens "Three Centre Model". There just isn't enough ice time for Staal to play 20+ minutes, plus first unit PP and PK in Pittsburgh, all things being equal with Crosby, Malkin and Staal all healthy at the same time.
Listen to Bylsma's explanation of the "Three Centre Model":
thanks, penguins.com
Of course, the coach thinks the three headed monster can work. He's the coach. He won a Cup with the three tenors, and he must dream at night of winning multiple Cups with 87, 71, 11 down the middle of his lineup. Who wouldn't want to be charged with the task of finding a peaceful accord with Crosby, Malkin and Staal? Sorry to say, nothing lasts forever. Staal got a taste of the bright lights and the bigger city while Crosby and Malkin were sidelined the past two seasons with their respective concussion and knee surgery issues. Now that all three are healthy and entering their prime production years, its time for Staal to fly.
The Sabres have exactly what Ray Shero and the Penguins are looking for in a trade partner: 2 first rounders and 2 second rounders in the NHL draft. Regier also has assets in Derek Roy, who is a 70 point centre. He can also sweeten a deal with prospects like Luke Adam and Mark Pysyk. I'd even include Jhonas Enroth in a package for Staal. The Pens desperately need a back up to Marc Andre Fleury. The Sabres can find a veteran backup via trade or free agency while their young behemoth backstops, Lieuwen and Knapp, learn the pro game in Rochester.
Mr. Pegula has the financial where with all to meet Staal's financial demands. Pegula can craft a deal akin to that of Ehrhoff and Myers in order to create the needed cap room to sign and retain the essential pieces to the puzzle.
Jordan Staal is EXACTLY the player that can lead the Sabres to the playoffs and an eventual legitimate run to Lord Stanley's Cup.
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