The contract for Jordan Staal sometimes causes some consternation. How can a team - especially one on a budget - justify paying $6 million per annum for a player who has cracked 50 points just once in his twelve-year career, whose career high in goals came in his rookie season, and who is widely considered a good defensive player but one whose value doesn’t necessarily show up on the score sheet?
Staal is always going to be a bit of a confounding player. Hockey analysis circa 2018 frowns on judging players by nebulous terms like determination, commitment and leadership, but Staal brings those certain unquantifiable traits to the locker room day after day.