Zdeno Chara, Erik Karlsson, Shea Weber, Duncan Keith, Alex Pietrangelo and P.K. Subban. These are some of the names of the NHL's top blueliners, but a healthy Marc Staal will quietly join this echelon of players by the end of the season.
The Hockey News' Forecaster profiled the 6'4", 207-pound Staal, and here is how his game was analyzed.
"Excels in one-on-one battles. Has a very active stick and long reach, which make him very effective in the shutdown role. Skates well and is extremely cerebral. Can produce offensively."
This is a good breakdown of Staal's game, and for that description there is reason to believe that a healthy Marc Staal can quietly become an elite NHL defender.
Before suffering a concussion at the hands of his own brother, Eric, Staal was on the cusp of becoming one of the NHL's top blueliners.
Staal was named an All-Star in 2011, and a few weeks, later he suffered the concussion. Although he would finish the season, his game wasn't the same, and he would miss the start of the 2011-12 season because of post-concussion symptoms.
During this time, Staal alrea ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Tom Urtz Jr.
New York Rangers: A Healthy Marc Staal Quietly Becoming an Elite NHL Defenseman
October 10th, 2013 by Tom Urtz Jr. Leave a reply »
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