Carolina Hurricanes captain and long-time top-line centerman Eric Staal is entering the final year of a seven-year, $57.75 million deal. Reportedly, general manager Ron Francis and Staal’s team are already in negotiations for a new deal.
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Obviously, both sides are trying to do different things. The Carolina Hurricanes organization will try to tie up Eric Staal for the least amount of money possible. On the flip side, Eric Staal will try to get as much money as possible. What is a realistic contract for the man who is set to turn in 31 in October.
First things first, you have to look at the market. Ryan Kesler just re-upped in Anaheim for six years at an AAV of 6.875, which drives up the center market. As a second line centerman, Kesler will get nearly $7 million per season on a long-term deal. Derek Stepan was also been rumored to be asking for upward of $7-7.5 million on his new deal, also.
What I also decided to do was average out every team’s top-paid centerman, excluding the Carolina Hurricanes, using generalfanager.com. Total, the other 29 teams in the NHL are paying their top-money centermen a total of $169.075 million, which means the average top-paid center is being paid about $5.830 million. It is naive to think Eric Staal will not be the top-paid centerman on this team following an extension.
There are also on-team considerations to make. Jeff Skinner is getting an AAV of $5.725 million and Jordan Staal is getting an even $6 million. I do not believe it is realistic that Eric Staal would sign here for less than the woefully underperforming Jeff Skinner and his younger brother Jordan Staal.
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Another thing to consider is how much he was just being paid. His AAV on his last deal, the one that expires on July 1, 2016, was $8.250 million. Obviously, this will come down significantly, all things considered. Especially since he is coming off his two worst point-producing seasons in a full season since his rookie year in 2003-2004.
So, with all that in mind, how much money is Eric Staal worth? His realistic worth and his actual worth are very different. His actual worth would certainly fall under $6 million and likely be in the $5-5.5 range on a deal that lasts 4-6 years.
His realistic worth, on the other hand, would likely drive above $6 million, considering Jordan Staal and Jeff Skinner both get paid around $6 million, Ryan Kesler just signed for almost $7 million, the average top-paid centerman in the league gets just under $6 million, and his latest deal paid him over $8 million for his AAV.
With all that in mind, Eric Staal could see upwards of $7 million per year on a deal that could extend through his mid-to-late 30’s. He could easily see that money, if not more, from a team desperate for a top-line center. Assuming he’s give Carolina some sort of hometown discount, maybe Eric Staal goes for somewhere in the $6-6.5 region with his AAV, but even then, is it really worth it for the Carolina Hurricanes?
The answer is probably no, as hard as it might be to admit it. The Carolina Hurricanes have made it clear that we have seen the end of these massive, overpaying deals under the leadership of Ron Francis as general manager. Would he give Staal another big money contract? Most likely, yes, but to think that this team could get a lot of pieces for the future using him as trade bait, the question of, “is it really worth it?”, begs to be asked.
Of course, there is much more than on-ice performance to consider with Eric Staal. He has been the team’s captain since 201o, he has been a massive contributor off the ice for local organizations and charities, and he is the face of the franchise still, despite his drop off in production.
There is a lot to consider when offering Eric Staal a new contract, and Ron Francis and the Canes front office doesn’t have an awful lot of time to consider it, but one thing is for sure, Eric Staal has been a great ambassador for hockey on and off the ice since he arrived in Raleigh in 2003.