After months of trade speculation, the New York Rangers won the Eric Staal sweepstakes Sunday, acquiring the star forward from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for two second-round picks and prospect Aleksi Saarela.
As the 31-year-old leaves brother Jordan in Raleigh to join brother Marc on Broadway, here are three reasons that Eric makes sense for the Blueshirts:
Offensive depth
With the addition of the eldest Staal, the Rangers' top-nine forwards look a whole lot scarier to any potential playoff opponents. Head coach Alain Vigneault will have a lot of options to consider once Rick Nash returns from injury, given Staal's ability to play center or wing.
Although he's on pace for his lowest-scoring season since his rookie year, if the trade "rejuvenates" Staal the way general manager Jeff Gorton hopes, it could spell danger for the rest of the Eastern Conference.
Potential lines
| LW | C | RW |
|---|---|---|
| Staal | Stepan | Nash |
| Miller | Brassard | Zuccarello |
| Hayes | Lindberg | Kreider |
| Fast | Moore | Stalberg |
A Staal-Stepan-Nash line would be a potential terror for opposing defenses and could also allow Chris Kreider to thrive in a third-line role while keeping the current Miller-Brassard-Zuccarello unit intact.
The final quarter of the regular season should see the Rangers use a number of different line configurations, which will give Vigneault more than enough time to sort out his deep, balanced attack.
Flexibility
As mentioned, Staal's ability to play the wing can allow the Rangers to keep Stepan and Brassard, both locked up through 2019, in their current top-six roles at center.
But another asset Staal brings to New York is a 53.7 faceoff percentage, which trails only Dominic Moore on the roster this season.
| Player | FO% |
|---|---|
| Moore | 55.8 |
| Staal | 53.7 |
| Brassard | 51.1 |
| Lindberg | 49.3 |
| Stepan | 46.6 |
| Miller | 41.5 |
| Hayes | 35.3 |
While he may spend the majority of his time on the wing, bringing in a man who has won the majority of his draws for five consecutive seasons is an important add for the Rangers: They rank 24th in the league at the faceoff dot, and dead last among teams in playoff position.
If Stepan's struggles in the circle continue, Staal could make a massive difference in late-game situations.
Win-now mode
As general manager Jeff Gorton alluded to Sunday, this trade is about today and not the future.
While it's uncertain whether their newest forward will stay at Madison Square Garden after this season, the Rangers already have four key forwards, three defensemen, and star goaltender Henrik Lundqvist locked up through at least 2018.
But after giving up a pair of first-rounders in 2014 for Martin St. Louis, the Rangers are without a selection in the opening round of the draft for the fourth consecutive year this June, casting doubt on how long their championship window can remain open.
Without a bevy of prospects to look forward to in the near future, the Rangers must remain competitive while Lundqvist continues to play a high level. Adding a productive veteran with a Cup ring to the dressing room has put them in a great position to make their second finals run in three years.
