Staal says reuniting with Sabres GM helps with 'shock' of trade from Wild
Center won Stanley Cup with Adams, Hurricanes in 2006
"When he became general manager in Buffalo, I sent him a note wishing him the best knowing that he would succeed and do well," the center said of Adams on Friday. "Little did I know he'd be trading for me in two months."
Adams, a forward who won the Stanley Cup with Staal on the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006, was named Sabres GM on June 16, replacing Jason Botterill. Adams' first trade as GM was acquiring Staal from the Minnesota Wild for forward Marcus Johansson on Wednesday.
Staal said he was stunned by the news but has started to embrace the prospect of joining Buffalo, thanks in part to Adams.
"That's been a very large factor," Staal said. "I've gotten to know Kevyn very well over a number of years. He was very good to me as a young player in Carolina. I was at his house numerous times as a young guy. We got along very well …
"I haven't talked to him a lot. It's been pretty whirlwind the past two days. But definitely being able to play for him and the type of person he is and the character he has is important to me. It's definitely a different situation than where I have been. But I am getting to the later stages of my career and I know sometimes how things go.
"It's a new opportunity, and I'll be ready for it."
The Sabres (30-31-8, .493 points percentage) finished 13th in the Eastern Conference this season and were not among the 24 teams to compete for the Stanley Cup as part of the NHL Return to Play Plan. They have not qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2011; at nine seasons, it is the longest active drought in the NHL.
Staal scored 47 points (19 goals, 28 assists) in 66 games with the Wild this season, and five points (one goal, four assists) in a four-game loss to the Vancouver Canucks in the best-of-5 Stanley Cup Qualifiers. The 35-year-old has one season remaining on a two-year, $6.5 million contract ($3.25 million average annual value) he signed with Minnesota on Feb. 25, 2019, and said he expected any possible trade would have taken place near the NHL Trade Deadline.
Selected No. 2 by the Hurricanes in the 2003 NHL Draft, Staal has scored 1,021 points (436 goals, 585 assists) in 1,240 games in 16 seasons with the Hurricanes, New York Rangers and Wild. He played four seasons for Minnesota, where his family has treasured winter days on the backyard rink.
"I think just the initial shock of everything was the biggest emotion I felt, we felt," he said. "It's been a great fit in Minnesota here for me and for my family. We really integrated well. Not only for me on the rink, but for my kids and my family. For me that's my most important thing. So when you get that news kind of out of the blue, it throws you a little bit for a loop. But we've been able to process a little bit more over the last couple of days.
"We still have a lot more to sort out. It's something that's a change but we can adapt to change and move forward, and that's what we're going to do. We're excited for the opportunity and the challenge that's ahead."
Staal said he's looking forward to "shepherding" some of Buffalo's young players and that he's eager to be reunited with forward Jeff Skinner, his teammate with Carolina from 2010-16.
"Just sort of watching [Eric] compete is probably the biggest thing," Skinner told the Sabres website. "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."
Skinner struggled in a second-line role this season, scoring 23 points (14 goals, nine assists) in 59 games after signing an eight-year, $72 million contract ($9 million AAV) on June 7, 2019. The Sabres believe Staal can help Skinner, a four-time 30-goal scorer, regain his form; he scored an NHL career-high 40 goals in 2018-19, his first season with Buffalo.
"[Skinner] is an elite talent," Staal said. "His skill set is unique. His ability to find pucks in tight areas around the net, he's very strong, his commitment to his craft. He's a fun guy to watch, he's entertaining, so I hope I can help. We got to know each other well in our time in Carolina. I hope last year was a bit of an anomaly for him. I think he's going to be counted on for a lot.
"For me, and not just for Jeff but for all the guys there, it's about trying to be a good teammate and help us become a team together. If you do that, individuals will find success, and you'll be going in the right direction."
