Going into the season, expectations were quite low for Marc Staal. Early on, Red Wings fans were pretty critical of his defensive play, to say the least. But was he really that bad? In his first year as a Detroit Red Wings, how did Staal’s performance shake out?
Previous Player Report Cards:
Thomas Greiss | Jakub Vrana | Taro Hirose | Richard Panik | Jonathan Bernier | Dylan Larkin
2021 Statline
Games Played: 56
Goals: 3
Assists: 7
+/-: -5
CF%: 43.7%
Preseason Projection
Bottom-Pairing Defenseman
2021 Season in a Nutshell
After 12 years of suiting up for the New York Rangers, Marc Staal was shipped off to Detroit – along with his hefty $5.7 million contract. In exchange for taking the cap hit, the Red Wings also received a second round draft pick.
To say expectations were low for Staal heading into this season is an understatement. The Rangers were willing to force him off the books for good reason; his play was nowhere near the large yearly salary he was receiving. Detroit fans expected Staal to act as a bottom-pairing, “warm body” to fill the roster.
In the first few games, it looked like fans were right on the nose. Staal looked out of place on an NHL team, seemingly turning over the puck more than he was passing it.
But Staal found a way to turn it around, at least a little – with the help of Troy Stecher. In fact, in early March, the pair had the best goals against per 60 minutes in the league at 1.55, although the analytics were a bit ugly at the end of the season. Staal was almost never the best defensemen on the ice – but as the season progressed, he became less and less noticeable. For a defenseman, that is often a good sign.
They Said It
“He’s a great pro in a lot of different ways. He’s a warrior, he plays through injuries, he’s out there on days where potentially as an older player could ask for maybe a practice off. He demands that he goes out there.”
-Jeff Blashill per MLive.com