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Eric Staal closing in on 1,000 career points

By Brennen Rupp

ST. PAUL, MN - DECEMBER 01: Eric Staal #12 of the Minnesota Wild celebrates a 1st period goal during a game with the Toronto Maple Leafs at Xcel Energy Center on December 1, 2018 in St. Paul, Minnesota.(Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images)
ST. PAUL, MN - DECEMBER 01: Eric Staal #12 of the Minnesota Wild celebrates a 1st period goal during a game with the Toronto Maple Leafs at Xcel Energy Center on December 1, 2018 in St. Paul, Minnesota.(Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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Eric Staal is about to embark on his 16th season in the National Hockey League and his fourth as a member of the Minnesota Wild. If he stays healthy (which history tells us he will, considering he’s only missed one game during his first three years as a member of the Wild) Staal will likely become the 89th player in NHL history to record 1,000 career points.

Staal will start the 2019-2020 season with 974 career points.  For those that are mathematically challenged like yours truly, that means Staal needs 26 points to become the 89th player to reach the 1,000 point milestone. It’s a feat that the veteran center will likely accomplish during the first half of the upcoming season.

In a “down” year Staal posted 52 points last season. It was Staal’s lowest point total since the 2015-2016 campaign. Even if Staal has another “down” season he should have no issue reaching the 1,000 point milestone.

Sidebar: It speaks to Staal’s greatness that a 52 point season is considered a down season. Along with Jason Zucker, Staal is a candidate to have a bounce back season.  It’s not out of the question to expect Staal to post a 30 goal with another season of 30 or more assists.

Over his three years with the Wild, the veteran center has averaged 64 points. He had his highest point total as a member of the Wild during the 2017-2018 season. A season which he posted 76 points.

Prediction

The scout.com staff projects Staal to finish the season with 53 points, scoring 23 goals and recording 30 assists.

The website, numberfire.com projects Staal to finish with 60 points. They have him finishing the season with 26 goals and 34 assists.

Staal will reach the 1,000 career point plateau on January 5, at home against the Calgary Flames. The veteran center will finish the season with 31 goals and 34 assists to give him 65 point on the season.

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