Penguins Employ the Perfect Staal Tactic

Shero waited until the last minute to reveal what he knew Friday
Sunday, June 25, 2006
By Dave Molinari, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Jordan Staal never denied that he found the idea of playing alongside his older brother, Eric, intriguing.

And he certainly was aware that Carolina was angling to acquire the No. 2 pick yesterday in the entry draft from the Penguins so it could unite the two of them.

But Penguins general manager Ray Shero never was so taken with any deal offered by the Hurricanes -- or any other club -- that it convinced him to part with the pick, which he used to claim Staal, a 6-foot-4, 215-pound center from Peterborough of the Ontario Hockey League.

And, much as the idea of having his oldest brother for a teammate appealed to Staal, he professed to be delighted about being selected by the Penguins.

"It really didn't matter where I ended up," he said. "This seems like I great organization. I'm really proud to be part of it."

He really didn't know that would happen, though, until Shero announced his name from the stage at GM Place. Not only because he figured a trade was possible, but because the Penguins had been noncommittal about their plans.

"I honestly had no idea what was going to happen," Staal said.

Maybe not, but Shero obviously did. While there was great suspense about what the Penguins would do with their selection, Shero said it was fairly evident by Friday night that no club was willing to part with enough to merit a trade.

"I knew [then] we weren't going to do anything," he said. "But [listening to the offers] was a good exercise. When I was coming off the stage with [Staal]), he said, 'This is a perfect fit.'
"And I just told him I wasn't trading the pick. In the end, I wanted him."

Although there had been no consensus about which prospect was the second-best in the draft -- defenseman Erik Johnson, who went to St. Louis first overall, was a clear-cut selection as the top choice -- Shero said Staal's potential separated him from the likes of Jonathan Toews, Phil Kessel and Nicklas Backstrom.

"For us, the absolute upside of the player [made the difference]," Shero said. "He's got a lot of room to grow, and this kid has uncanny hockey sense. ... He's so skilled. It's hard to contain guys like that. When you're drafting at [No.] 2, I want to take the upside of the player, and I think he's got it."

Staal, who will not turn 18 until Sept. 10, is the youngest of the elite prospects in this year's talent pool, which is part of the reason many scouts believe he will benefit from at least one more season in junior hockey.

That also is part of the reason the Penguins aren't penciling him into their 2006-07 lineup, although they aren't writing him off as a candidate for a spot on the team, either.

"I don't want to block anybody's progress," Shero said. "I don't want to block any aspirations he has of making our team next year, so we're going to have an open mind and we're going to see how he does during the rookie camp, how he does in the exhibition [games], then make a decision from there."

Staal had 28 goals and 40 assists in 60 games with the Petes last season, while often being cast in a defensive role. He expects to "get the opportunity to play more offensively" if he returns to Peterborough in the winter.

And if he somehow sticks in the NHL, Staal will become part of a club that he believes has exceptional promise.

"I see a young team that's got the potential to be a great team," he said. "They have a lot of talent."

Staal will get his introduction to pro hockey, and some future teammates, when the Penguins' rookie camp opens Sept. 7. Even now, though, he recognizes that he'll have to upgrade his speed -- "It's really fast hockey [in the NHL]," Staal said -- and overall strength to establish himself at the next level.

When he gets there, he'll have Sidney Crosby for a teammate. And while Staal repeatedly stressed that he's not in the NHL yet, he allowed himself a few seconds to imagine how they could work as linemates.

"I'm sure I'll be putting up some numbers if I do get a chance to play [alongside him]," he said.

Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, who is expected to come over from Russia this summer, will give the Penguins an exceptional 1-2 punch at center. While it's possible that Staal could bump one of them out of a job, he was adamant that he'd be willing to move to the wing if the Penguins want.
"I'll play wherever they put me," he said. "It doesn't really matter to me. As long as I get an opportunity to play, I'll be happy."

And, who knows? Perhaps by the time Staal becomes a regular with the Penguins, Shero will have persuaded Carolina GM Jim Rutherford to trade him Eric Staal.

OK, so that's a long shot, but Shero did get a chuckle when that concept was put to him.

"I hadn't thought about that," he said. "I don't think I'll bring that up with Jimmy today."

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