'He's just a pro': Skinner looks forward to Staal's impact on Sabres

Jeff Skinner was in his parents' pool Wednesday when he learned the Buffalo Sabres had traded for Eric Staal, his longtime teammate with the Carolina Hurricanes.
"They actually told me because I obviously wasn't on my phone," Skinner said. "I thought they were joking at first."
Few people know what the Sabres are getting in Staal better than Skinner, who joined the Hurricanes as an 18-year-old rookie in 2010. He was assigned the locker next to Staal, who by then was already captain of the team, a Stanley Cup champion, and an Olympic gold medalist.
In other words, when Skinner says that veterans and young players alike will benefit from Staal's presence in the Buffalo dressing room, he's speaking from experience.

"Just sort of watching him compete is probably the biggest thing," Skinner said. "He was the captain and sort of the face of the franchise and we were sort of always on the bubble and didn't quite have the success we would like as a team, but he was always a driving force and always competing every night.
"I think that's what separates the best players in the league too, is being able to bring it every night. That's why he's had the success he had, and he's been on the successful teams he's been on and he's been the leader he's been throughout his career is he brings it every night. To be able to bring it every night and compete that hard for that long is probably the most unique thing about him, I guess."

Staal admitted to feeling an initial sense of shock upon receiving the news from Wild general manager Bill Guerin that he had been acquired by Buffalo in exchange for Marcus Johansson on Wednesday. He was already thinking of how he could help the Sabres by the time he met with the Buffalo media on Friday.
As Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams outlined, Staal's potential impact is multidimensional. His resume speaks for itself, from Stanley Cup champion at 22 to earning a sixth All-Star appearance last season at 35. He not only addresses a need at center, but should be a welcomed presence in a young dressing room.
Skinner said that Staal's habits alone will be impactful. Staal experienced a resurgence during his four seasons in Minnesota even as he climbed in age, missing only four games while ranking 44th among all NHL players with 240 points and 21st with 81 even-strength goals since 2016-17. That doesn't happen by accident.
"He's just a pro," Skinner said. "He takes care of himself. He puts in the work. He's 6-foot-4 and he can fly around the ice, so I'm sure he's had to work a little bit for that."
Staal had the benefit of learning from his own set of veterans coming up on a championship-caliber Hurricanes team, a group that included Rod Brind'Amour, Corey Stillman, and Ray Whitney. He took mental note of their preparation and how it allowed them to have long, productive careers.
To that end, Staal said he still feels like the same player who perennially hovered around the 70-point mark in Carolina. He's only two years removed from 42-goal, 76-point season with Minnesota.
"I think I've obviously got a lot more experience," Staal said. "I'm pretty comfortable in my skin and what I can do on the ice. But I have a similar mindset, skill set of what I've been over my career. I contribute offensively. I can play at both ends of the rink. I love to compete and love to see success out of the group and individuals.
"I don't feel like I've changed a whole ton as a player. I think confidence, even for me, over my time is a big thing. If I can get rolling and feeling good about my game, I can go on a good long stretch and be successful offensively."

Staal attributes his resurgence with the Wild to the culture that was in place when he arrived in 2016. He felt he was able to plug in as one of the guys and, as a result, was able to play with confidence and be the best version of himself on the ice.
The Sabres are looking to build that culture in Buffalo, having taken a step in that direction last season under coach Ralph Krueger. Staal sounded a bit like Krueger - who stresses simple, "connected" hockey - in describing how he hopes to help that process.
"To me the biggest reason for success is a team playing like a team," Staal said. "You need everybody. Not just guys up the middle, you need commitment from your whole lineup from the goaltender to the D. It's cliché and boring to say but you don't win unless you're a team that's tightknit and committed to success, especially in this league. It's too hard, it's too close, too competitive.
"The biggest thing is having your group committed to finding success together and leaning on each other, believing in each other. I think you always strive for that. It's just the teams that end up winning the championship at the end of the year really end up doing that, and that's a goal you try and help be a part of. That's what I'll try and do when I come to Buffalo."