But the forward, who was traded to the Canadiens by the Buffalo Sabres on Friday for a third-round and a fifth-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, is thrilled with his new opportunity.
“This is the best atmosphere in the League by far and now to be joining the group and joining the whole city, being a Montreal Canadien, is pretty phenomenal. I’m excited,” Staal said Sunday.
Staal has scored 45 points (22 goals, 23 assists) in 50 regular-season games against the Canadiens. In 2006, he scored an overtime goal for the Carolina Hurricanes against the Canadiens in Game 3 of the best-of-7 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. Carolina won the next three games, eliminating Montreal on the way to winning the Stanley Cup. Staal scored eight points (two goals, six assists) in the series.
Now the 36-year-old has been brought in to try and help the Canadiens reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season.
Montreal (14-8-9) is fourth in the Scotia North Division, two points ahead of the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks. The top four teams make the playoffs.
“There’s a great opportunity here and I’m going to try to take advantage of it,” Staal said.
“I feel like I’ve got some game left in me, that I can be a contributor. Wherever they have me start, I will work as hard as I can to make sure that I’m out there more than not.”
Video: Eric Staal gets traded to the Montreal Canadiens
Staal arrived in Montreal by car from Buffalo on Saturday and began serving the necessary seven-day quarantine before he can join the Canadiens.
He waived a modified no-trade clause in his contract to facilitate the trade from the Sabres, who have not won in 17 games (0-15-2) and are last in the NHL (6-23-4).
Staal said an important factor was Canada’s decision, reported by the Canadian Press on Friday, to reduce the quarantine for traded NHL players from 14 to seven days.
“I just felt like 14 days of waiting is a long time, especially if you’re going to get traded in the middle of the season,” Staal said. “To sit there and wait 14 days and then come back out and try to get in the lineup and be a factor… to me, to be honest, that’s too long. A week is doable. At the age I am, it’s a chance to recover the body and use this as an advantage.”
Staal is in the final season of a two-year, $6.5 million contract ($3.25 million average annual value) he signed with the Minnesota Wild on Feb. 25, 2019 and can become an unrestricted free agent after the season. He was traded to the Sabres by the Wild on Sept. 16.
“I’m going day by day,” he said. “I’ve got a week on my own here and then I’ll get with the group, but my focus is getting started with this group and integrating in and we’ll kind of see where it goes.
“This is a phenomenal place to play hockey and one of the best experiences as an NHL player, so I’m excited for the chance. It’s an unbelievable market. Hopefully, I can play well and do well and our team accumulates a lot of wins. That’s what it’s all about and I’m just looking forward to the chance.”
Video: BUF@WSH: Staal slings pass by Vanecek on power play
Selected No. 2 in the 2003 NHL Draft by the Hurricanes, Staal has scored 1,031 points (439 goals, 532 assists) in 1,272 regular season games for the Sabres, Wild, New York Rangers and Hurricanes, and 51 points (21 goals, 30 assists) in 62 playoff games.
He scored 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in 32 games for the Sabres this season.
Staal said he’s spoken with Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin and coach Dominique Ducharme.
“I’ve told them both I just want to win,” Staal said. “I want to be out there and win and be competitive and try to help our group win games, wherever that is in the lineup. I will do what I can.”
Staal’s role might be limited with the Canadiens, who also have Phillip Danault, Nick Suzuki and Jesperi Kotkaniemi at center.
“I’m always striving to have my name called as much as I can because I’m competitive, I want to play, I want to do what I can to help…,” Staal said. “but I also understand, ‘Hey, this night or this moment might not be mine, it might be someone else’s.’ You need to be supportive and be a good teammate and that’s what I’ll do and what I have done over my career.”
Staal said he’s excited by the pace and transition game of the Canadiens and impressed with their defensemen anchored by Shea Weber and Jeff Petry, and goalie Carey Price.
“There’s a balance up front that can come at you in waves,” he said. “With the amount of games we have, the type of season it is, you’re going to need everybody in your lineup. … I just think there’s a lot of mix of some guys that have been around a while and understand the game.”
