Jen Moglia- Marc Staal
For the past few years, Marc Staal hasn’t just been practically invisible, he has been a defensive liability. This is why he belongs on the team’s “naughty list.”
This one shouldn’t come as a shock to any New York Rangers fan.
He has a total of six points (one goal and five assists) so far this season. That makes him third-to-last on the team and the second-to-last defenseman. Out of the players who have appeared in all 35 games this season, he has the fewest points.
As for assists, Staal has more than just four players, two of them being fellow defensemen. When it comes to goals, he is tied for second-to-last on the team with Boo Nieves. Just three players (Ryan McDonagh, Brendan Smith, and Steven Kampfer) trail them, each with no goals.
He is on pace for one of the worst seasons of his career, projecting about 14 points (12 assists and two goals). But, that prediction is only valid if he plays in all 82 games, which he hasn’t done since the 2009-2010 season. His Corsi stats don’t bail him out either.
The 30-year-old’s Corsi-For percentage has only reached 50 or above when playing with five different players this season, two of them no longer with the team (Tony DeAngelo and Adam Cracknell). The other three are Kevin Hayes, Kevin Shattenkirk, and Nick Holden.
Out of the 24 players Staal has played with, 15 of them are statistically better without Staal (that’s about 63 percent). All of these signs, from making other players worse to less-than-ideal offensive production, point to Marc Staal receiving coal in his stocking on Christmas morning.