Amassing four All-Star Game appearances during his tenure with the Canes, Stanley Cup winning center and former captain Eric Staal is widely considered the best player in franchise history, or at least the most valuable and decorated.
Much like Francis, it is a wonder why Staal’s longtime teammate and another former Carolina captain Rod Brind’Amour was not picked for a single All-Star Game. However, Staal’s consistent appearances from 2007 to 2011 eased fan’s minds a bit.
The 2006 Winter Olympics, in Torino, Italy, canceled the 2006 All-Star Game. If not for that, Staal is likely to have been a lock for 2006. Staal’s only individual season with 100 points came in the 2005-06 campaign, where he capped things off tallying 45 goals and 55 assists.
After the 2006 season, the spotlight was firmly on Staal all across the league. He’s also one of just two players mentioned here that played in the 2018 All-Star Game (also Hanifin). Yet, Staal represented the Minnesota Wild in 2018, as he was dealt from the Canes in 2016.