Minnesota Wild: Can Staal Center the Top Line?

Expectations for Eric Staal have already been raised high from day one since his signing. With rumors of him being inserted as the Wild’s top line center those expectations have certainly grown. The question seems to be right now, after coming off an off year can Staal handle that top line roll?

The biggest addition made to the Minnesota Wild lineup thus far this summer was the addition of free-agent center Eric Staal. The excitement for the Staal signing was certainly felt all around the State of Hockey as it seemed that the Wild had added an impact forward to the lineup. Then without missing a beat the speculation started that the new acquisition Staal would be the center for a top line with Zach Parise and Charlie Coyle. Staal is certainly a former 40 goal scorer and capable in the past of playing on the top line, but with increased production over the last couple of years the question becomes can he still be a first line forward/center?

Staal turns 32 in October and by all accounts is still in great playing shape. The most important person to buy into the idea of a still vibrant and able Staal is Head Coach Bruce Boudreau. Boudreau explained to wild.com that he as he saw it “I have a hard time thinking that 31 (years old) in today’s day and age with how fit the players are that he’s all of a sudden gotten old. There’s a lot more for him to give. He’ll be rejuvenated by the situation here.”

Boudreau’s endorsement is huge as it shows that he still believes in Staal’s ability to produce at a high level, and he should be able to. The only issue will be if he can find the scoring touch netted him seven years of 70 or more points. The issue might not be that Staal is too old, it could be that he doesn’t have the scoring touch left to be on the top line. The hope is that the players he’s playing with like Parise will help spark his scoring. Parise helped recruit Staal to sign explained that “He thought there was an opportunity there for me to play center, and to play with some good players, he being one of them.”

One of the most overlooked factor of Staal’s decline last year was a change in position from center to play wing. Boudreau explains that “I don’t think he liked playing left wing. I think he’s the kind of the guy that wants the puck in the middle and wants to handle it and play with it. He wants to be the guy.”

That’s a really important observation by the Wild HC. Some players are best suited to pressing the play and being in the mix rather than waiting in space to get the puck. If the Wild give Staal more chances to make plays with great finishers around him like Parise and Coyle, you could see him do good things offensively. And if teams cover his line mates, he’s got the shot and sense to score on his own.