StaTuesday: Staal hits 1,000 games after reviving career with Wild
Was he a poor fit or a star in decline?
Expectations were mixed when Eric Staal signed with the Minnesota Wild fresh off the worst statistical season of his career.
Staal was traded to the New York Rangers at the deadline last season after 11 productive seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes to disastrous results. He scored just three goals in 20 games before hitting the open market as an unrestricted free agent.
But the Wild took a chance on the 32-year-old, and Sunday they honored one of their newest stars on a major milestone
A member of the celebrated class of 2003 -- the draft that also produced Zach Parise and Ryan Suter -- Staal played in his 1,000th career NHL game Sunday, just of just 21 active NHLers to reach that milestone.
He's one of just five players to hit the 1,000-game mark while playing for the Wild, joining forwards Matt Cooke, Matt Cullen and Andrew Brunette, as well as defenseman Keith Carney.
Staal has maintained his scoring consistency throughout, and has a shot at reaching the 1,500-game plateau if his 6-foot-4 frame stays healthy, as it has through his career.
Staal has scored at least 20 goals in all but three of his 13 NHL seasons and had 18 goals in just 48 games during the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season.
Since Staal's rookie season only Alexander Ovechkin and Jeff Carter have more 20-goal seasons.
| Player | Team | Count |
| Alex Ovechkin | Capitals | 12 |
| Jeff Carter | Kings | 11 |
| Marian Hossa | Blackhawks | 11 |
| Jarome Iginla | Kings | 11 |
| Rick Nash | Rangers | 11 |
| Sidney Crosby | Penguins | 10 |
| Patrick Kane | Blackhawks | 10 |
| Patrick Marleau | Sharks | 10 |
| Martin St. Louis | Rangers | 10 |
| Eric Staal | Wild | 10 |
| Jonathan Toews | Blackhawks | 10 |
| Thomas Vanek | Panthers | 10 |
And while his reputation was in jeopardy following that disastrous run with the Rangers last season, Staal has revived his career in Minnesota.
He's set to reach 60 points for the first time since the 2013-14 season, and has an outside shot at 70 if the Wild can regain some momentum heading into the playoffs.
| Season | Team | GP | G | A | P | PPG | S% | FO% |
| 2003-04 | Hurricanes | 81 | 11 | 20 | 31 | 2 | 6.7 | 43.05 |
| 2005-06 | Hurricanes | 82 | 45 | 55 | 100 | 19 | 16.1 | 42.55 |
| 2006-07 | Hurricanes | 82 | 30 | 40 | 70 | 12 | 10.4 | 45.15 |
| 2007-08 | Hurricanes | 82 | 38 | 44 | 82 | 14 | 12.3 | 44.91 |
| 2008-09 | Hurricanes | 82 | 40 | 35 | 75 | 14 | 10.8 | 45.27 |
| 2009-10 | Hurricanes | 70 | 29 | 41 | 70 | 13 | 10.5 | 41.82 |
| 2010-11 | Hurricanes | 81 | 33 | 43 | 76 | 12 | 11.1 | 47.97 |
| 2011-12 | Hurricanes | 82 | 24 | 46 | 70 | 7 | 9.2 | 52.47 |
| 2012-13 | Hurricanes | 48 | 18 | 35 | 53 | 3 | 11.8 | 51.97 |
| 2013-14 | Hurricanes | 79 | 21 | 40 | 61 | 1 | 9.1 | 52.73 |
| 2014-15 | Hurricanes | 77 | 23 | 31 | 54 | 7 | 9.4 | 51.27 |
| 2015-16 | Hurricanes | 63 | 10 | 23 | 33 | 1 | 6.3 | 53.74 |
| 2015-16 | Rangers | 20 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 7.5 | 51.04 |
| 2016-17 | Wild | 71 | 24 | 30 | 54 | 3 | 13.3 | 49.16 |
| CAREER | 1,000 | 349 | 486 | 835 | 108 | 10.7 | 47.7 |
The Wild have a homegrown iron man in their locker room as well. Captain Mikko Koivu is currently the franchise's career leader at 833 games played, and is set to hit 1,000 games during the 2018-19 season.
He's one of just four players to spend more than 500 games in a Wild sweater, joining defenseman Nick Schultz, forward Pierre-Marc Bouchard and high-scoring winger Marian Gaborik.
