The New York Rangers have defenseman Marc Staal under contract until the 2020-2021 season with a full no-movement clause. Just how bad is Staal in relation to other defenseman around the league?
Under former New York Ranger’s General Manager Glen Sather, the team made a bad habit of paying players based on what they had done in the past instead of what they were going to do in the future. The case of Marc Staal should be a living testament to know when to walk away from a player that is asking for more than they are worth.
Now, with a full no-movement clause, Staal controls his own destiny and has shown no inclination of wanting to be moved or having any value worth doing so. It is a true shame that the once dominant defensive defenseman is a shell of his former self that struggles to keep up with the modern speed based game.
There is certainly room for players that are capable of suppressing shots and being limited in the offensive zone. Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin is the model for what a modern defensive defenseman should be. Staal is a long way away from what Slavin is for the Hurricanes due to his diminished physical abilities. There is no shame in how long Staal has played, however the miles on his body are becoming more apparent each and every season.
Unfortunately for the New York Rangers, Staal’s once great skills have diminished to the point he is a liability on the ice. Using other bad defenseman around the league as a measuring stick, Staal can seriously belong in the discussion of worst defenseman in the entire league relative to his role on his team.