In the 2017 Rangers offseason Jeff Gorton bought out Dan Girardi’s contract. With Girardi’s contract off the books the spotlight shifted to Marc Staal and his $5.7 million cap hit. To many, it felt like the next scapegoat of the Rangers defense had been selected before the puck dropped on the new season.
It’s also important to point out that Staal received a lot of criticism for his play in the 2017 Playoffs, as a result there some speculation that his days in New York could be numbered. The rumors and criticism clearly reached the ears of the veteran defenseman.