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Marc Staal on a One-Year Deal is the Quintessential Rebuild Move
Published:
Marc Staal is a Flyer:
DONE DEAL: We have signed defenseman Marc Staal to a one-year, $1.1 million contract. https://t.co/QKORGSnCvj
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) July 3, 2023
This is the type of move you make when you’re rebuilding. Bring in a cheap vet on a one-year deal, in this case a 36-year-old lefty defenseman. He gives you some experience, helps the younger guys a bit, and then you flip him to a contender at the deadline for a 6th round draft pick or some other low-level asset.
Reading the replies and quotes on that tweet above, you’ll see a lot of general annoyance because Staal is another guy who didn’t wear the Pride Night jersey. Feel however you want to feel about that, but it’s arguably worth little time and effort to complain since the guy isn’t gonna be here beyond 2024 anyway. Tune in next year knowing that the team is going to lose and look for positive development with the young players.
That’s about it. It seems like a portion of Flyers fans don’t have a full grasp of what Danny Briere is doing here, but it’s pretty obvious from the outside. Get off the bad contracts, get the kids their ice time, and fill out the roster with one-year vets or reclamation projects who fit the timeline. He’s doing what he should be doing, Danny B.
Kevin has been writing about Philadelphia sports since 2009. He spent seven years in the CBS 3 sports department and started with the Union during the team's 2010 inaugural season. He went to the academic powerhouses of Boyertown High School and West Virginia University. email - k.kinkead@sportradar.com