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New York Rangers: Just how bad is Marc Staal?

By Nicholas Zararis

PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 07: New York Rangers Defenceman Marc Staal (18) carries the puck in the first period during the game between the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers on April 07, 2018 at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA. (Photo by Kyle Ross/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 07: New York Rangers Defenceman Marc Staal (18) carries the puck in the first period during the game between the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers on April 07, 2018 at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA. (Photo by Kyle Ross/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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BOSTON, MA – APRIL 25: Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Roman Polak (46) warms up before Game 7 of the First Round for the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs between the Boston Bruins and the Toronto Maple Leafs on April 25, 2018, at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The Bruins defeated the Maple Leafs 7-4. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA – APRIL 25: Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Roman Polak (46) warms up before Game 7 of the First Round for the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs between the Boston Bruins and the Toronto Maple Leafs on April 25, 2018, at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The Bruins defeated the Maple Leafs 7-4. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Roman Polak

Up north of the border this past season, clunky defenseman Roman Polak somehow got into 54 regular season games. In said 54 games, the defenseman posted 12 points, including 2 goals. That low level of offensive production is simply unacceptable on a team that considers itself a serious cup contender. For some reason, the Dallas Stars signed Polak this offseason coming off of a terrible season.

This past season, Polak’s advanced stats were outright egregious. Although it is worth noting that the defenseman started 60% of the time in the defensive zone, his 47.9 CF% was still nearly three whole points lower than the team average. Polak’s inability to drive possession hindered a talented forward group.

The contract Polak is on (one year, $1.3 million) is a manageable deal for the Stars. In all likelihood, the defenseman will be a starter for something in the neighborhood of 40 or 50 games. The Stars have a strong right side on their depth chart, but Polak for whatever reason has stuck around in the league.

Put it like this, Polak’s zone exit and entry stats are even worse than Staal’s. That alone should put in perspective just how slow and ineffective of a player Polak is in today’s NHL. Players that don’t have the ability to skate their way out of trouble or have soft enough hands to pass out of trouble do not fit what a successful team needs.

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