The Red Wings got to know Jordan Staal when they met the Penguins in back to back Cup finals in 2008 and 2009. If they're lucky, they'll get to know him again in Michael Rasmussen.
Staal is Detroit's model for Rasmussen as the big center enters his third NHL season. And why not? Staal has played in more games over the past 15 seasons than all but five active centers in the NHL.
Rasmussen took a step forward for the Wings last season, earning steady minutes down the middle of their lineup -- and a three-year $4.4 million extension in the summer. Jeff Blashill said Monday that the 22-year-old has "taken (another) step forward" in training camp, while noting, "The next steps are harder." He said Rasmussen's performance in the team's scrimmage over the weekend was a portrait of the player he can be.
"He was hard on the puck, he created space, he played into what I think his role is going to be," Blashill said. "Right now, and we’ve talked about this for a long time, I'd love to see him become a guy who can be a matchup type center, who can play against the other team’s best on an energy and momentum line, and then do a good job net-front on the power play. That’s what we’re working toward with him. Jordan Staal’s been one of the best at that over the years, and certainly that’s a comparison that we’ve talked to Rass about."
Jordan Staal, to put it bluntly, is a beast. He's big, he's strong, he's fast and he's more skilled than you might think. You don't stumble into 1,000-plus games in the NHL, and you don't put up 575 points by mistake. If Rasmussen ever comes close to those numbers, the Wings would have to be over the moon. Aim high, right?
You can tell Rasmussen has bought into the vision. He was drafted ninth overall in 2017 as a prolific scorer out of the WHL, but his NHL profile will have to be different. Asked at the start of camp how he wants to establish himself this season, Rasmussen, never one to waste words, said, "Earning valuable ice for our team, whether it’s five on five, a big face-off, penalty kill, power play. Anywhere I can help the team, I just want to get that trust."
Staal has that trust in Carolina. He's had it for years, and he had it in Pittsburgh before that. He was second among forwards on the first-place Hurricanes last season in ice time (18:29) and the only forward on the team who played at least two minutes per game on both the power play and the penalty kill. He put up 38 points, 14 of which came on the power play, in 58 games. Oh, and he won 58 percent of his face-offs, fifth best in the NHL.
Rasmussen is trying to build that trust in Detroit. He logged 14:48 per game last season, a significant increase from his rookie year, including 2:16 on the power play and 0:35 on the penalty kill. He put up 12 points, two of which came on the power play, in 40 games. He won 44 percent of his face-offs, which, yikes. He's got some work to do at the dot. And work can be done: Staal won 42 percent of his face-offs in his second season and 46 percent over his first five. He's been over 50 percent every season since.
In one area, Rasmussen has already outgrown Staal: he's two inches taller. Now it's a matter of adding bulk to leverage his size. He's listed at 6'6, 210 --Staal checks in at 6'4, 220 -- and Blashill said Rasmussen "tested great" at the start of camp after spending most of his summer training in Detroit. He's sturdier and stronger than he was a year ago, which has already made a difference on the ice.
"He can create more space. He has a little more confidence with the puck because with that space, he knows he has a little bit more time. Now when he goes into a battle he’s got more confidence that he’s going to win it," Blashill said. "One of the big things over the last two years, he’s put a lot of time in. He’s spent a lot of time in Detroit, he’s worked with skating coaches, he’s gotten quicker and he's improved his body."
Ah, the skating. It always comes back to the skating. Much like his older brothers, Staal was a skater as soon as he he arrived in the NHL. Sometimes it's in the blood. Rasmussen wasn't born with the same gift, which is hard to overcome in a league that keeps getting faster. The strides he makes in this department will say a lot about his NHL fate. The three-year commitment he got from Detroit says he has the faith of Steve Yzerman.
Rasmussen's growth last year solidified his spot on Detroit's roster this season. He has a clear-cut role as a checking center, which he said "just drives me even more to build on other roles and gain more ice." More ice is a product of more growth, not the other way around under Blashill. That's the challenge for Rasmussen this season, at even strength, on special teams and in the face-off circle, as he pursues a spot in Detroit's future: stall or Staal.