Marc Staal is returning to where his NHL journey began almost 20 years ago.
Drafted 12th overall by the Rangers in 2005, he followed his brothers Eric and Jordan into the NHL. After two more seasons in junior hockey with the Sudbury Wolves, Staal joined the New York Rangers’ blue line in 2007. In his rookie season, he played nearly 19 minutes per game, scored 10 points, and finished 12th in Calder Trophy voting.
By the end of his entry-level contract, Staal was a top defender for the Rangers. He averaged over 22 minutes per game and scored 27 points in his final ELC year (all at even strength). This performance earned him a five-year, $19.88M contract after a lengthy holdout during the 2010 offseason. During this period, he helped lead the Rangers to an Eastern Conference championship in 2014 but lost to the Kings in five games during the Stanley Cup Final.
Staal’s Prime Years:
Staal’s best season was arguably 2010-11 when he had career highs of 22 assists and 29 points while averaging nearly 26 minutes per game. He even received Norris Trophy votes that year . However, as time went on, his role diminished.
Fans might think this news is bittersweet since it marks both an end and a new beginning for Staal.
When COVID-19 hit in early 2020, Staal’s usage dropped significantly; he became more of a bottom-pairing option. The Rangers traded him to Detroit with one year left on his contract. After two seasons with Detroit and a brief stint with Florida alongside brother Eric again (where they reached another Stanley Cup Final but lost), it seemed like old times were back for a bit.
Last summer saw no reunion plans materialize between Staal and Florida Panthers; instead signing him up with Flyers on one-year deal worth $1.1M only resulted being used sparingly: just appearing totalizingly low number appearances averaging under fourteen minutes each game!
For those curious about career stats: Marc tallied up impressive numbers—53 goals plus whopping total assists amounting combined total points equating grand sum across regular-season matches clocking average ice-time close twenty-minutes! Playoff-wise? Not too shabby either: twenty-point contributions despite negative rating still managed hefty average time-on-ice figures through playoff runs involving both Florida & New York teams alike!
What do you think about Marc’s retirement?
