Marc Staal was made the defacto captain going into the season. Without Ryan McDonagh, Dan Girardi, and Derek Stepan, plus the looming Mats Zuccarello trade that seemed inevitable, Staal was one of the few remaining pieces of the New York Rangers’ core besides Henrik Lundqvist.
Whether he deserved to be based on his play, and not his veteran status, is another story. His 2017-18 season was better than 2016-17, but then again, the expectations were so low to begin with considering his decline.
Going into 2018-19, between his supposed improvement and redemption, paired with his veteran status on a rebuilding team, Staal appeared to be destined for a role in the Rangers’ top four.