#96 - Eric Staal

Eric Staal (Murillo Pyramid Rank = #96)

Adjusted Stats

2003-2004   Car        81 GP   13 goals   24 assists   37 points     0.46 PPG
2005-2006   Car*      82 GP   46 goals   56 assists   102 points   1.24 PPG
2006-2007   Car        82 GP   32 goals   43 assists   75 points     0.91 PPG
2007-2008   Car        82 GP   43 goals   50 assists   93 points     1.13 PPG
2008-2009   Car        82 GP   43 goals   38 assists   81 points     0.99 PPG
2009-2010   Car        70 GP   32 goals   45 assists   77 points     1.10 PPG
2010-2011   Car        81 GP   37 goals   48 assists   86 points     1.06 PPG

Adjusted Playoff Stats

2005-2006    Car*      25 GP   9 goals    19 assists    28 points     1.11 PPG
2008-2009    Car        18 GP   10 goals   5 assists     15 points     0.85 PPG

Career - 560 GP, 246 goals, 304 assists, 551 points, 0.98 PPG
Career-Highs - 46 goals (05-06); 56 assists (05-06); 102 points (05-06); 1.24 PPG (05-06)
Avg. (7 seasons) - 80 GP, 35 goals, 43 assists, 79 points, 0.98 PPG

Playoff Career - 43 GP, 19 goals, 24 assists, 43 points, 1.00 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 10 goals (08-09); 19 assists (05-06); 28 points (05-06); 1.11 PPG (05-06)

Accolades - None
All-Star Teams - 1-time 2nd-team
1-time Stanley Cup Champion

As with Henrik Zetterberg, I'm doing a bit of projecting with Eric Staal. Of all the much-hyped Staal brothers, Eric is clearly the most likely to end up high in the Pyramid. As with brother Jordan, he's already won a Stanley Cup, but he distinguishes himself because he was the key player on that team, scoring 102 points in the regular season and then leading the playoffs with 28 points in 25 games. If it weren't for Cam Ward, Eric Staal would have been a deserving Conn Smythe winner himself.

For a center, Staal's assist numbers aren't elite, but his goal-scoring is remarkably consistent. At just 26, he's already had five straight 30+ goal seasons and three of 40+. I can't help but think that with a more talented supporting cast, Staal would be more in the 40-50-90 range annually instead of the 35-45-80 level he's currently at. But his accomplishments are still impressive: combined with his physical style of play, Staal is one of the few power forwards in the league who plays center...he's got more of a left-winger's style of game.

Staal has been remarkably durable so far in his career, playing 80+ games in his first five seasons before missing 12 games in 2009-2010. He was enjoying another consistent season with the Hurricanes in 2010-2011 at the time of this writing, but he's suffered a head injury and potential concussion mere days ago, adding to the growing list of NHL stars sidelined by concussions (and, along with Sidney Crosby, giving me fear that some of the young stars of this generation may have their careers hampered).

Fortunately, Staal returned quickly and hasn't shown any ill effects. He may end up putting together a career that doesn't have a lot of insanely high peaks but is remarkable for its consistency, like Mats Sundin except with a Stanley Cup ring. I could easily see him ending up quite high on the career-scoring list just because he started so young and seems to be extremely durable (as long as no one hits him in the head again). Years from now when we think of the Staal brothers, it will be Eric who stands out at the head of the pack.