Why Eric Staal will be a 2011 NHL All-Star Game captain

When the NHL announced that its 2011 All-Star Game squads
would be drafted
by two captains rather than determined by conference affiliation, many fans
voiced their anticipation (or dread) of a seemingly inevitable Team Sidney
Crosby vs. Team Alex Ovechkin faceoff. 
Then came the alternatives; like when
Kevin Allen of USA Today theorized that legendary Detroit Red Wings
defenseman (and captain) Nicklas Lidstrom could get the call, or perhaps Teemu
Selanne of the Anaheim Ducks in a career achievement honor.
But the more we've thought about
it, and asked around, the more it seems we've overlooked the obvious: Eric
Staal of the Carolina Hurricanes, logically, will be one of the two captains
for the 2011 All-Star Game on Jan. 30.
Which should go over well in
Raleigh.
"We'll see what happens, but I think
they want to make it real fan-oriented," Staal told us on Sunday, after the
Hurricanes' 3-2 shootout loss to the Washington Capitals.
"I would be a wise choice, with
our fans cheering for our side."

Staal has 27 points in 23 games
for the Hurricanes, good for ninth in the NHL and putting him on the short list
for what would be his fourth All-Star Game selection.
In a recent interview with
NHL.com, he joked about his
approach if selected as a captain:
"In an All-Star Game, it's all
about defense so I'd probably get the shut-down defense first and go from
there," said Staal, tongue in cheek. "Just kidding. ... There are so
many great players with so much skill and so much talent, you can't really go
wrong with any player. If I got that honor to pick, it's a lot of pressure, but
at the same time, I'm sure the guys would have fun with it."
The honor should be his, for a few
reasons:
1. Location, Location, Location.
The game is in Raleigh and Staal
is both the captain of the local team and a legit NHL star. Staal said he expects
there's a hometown advantage working in his favor for the captaincy.
2. Politics
The NHL has said that the pool of
42 players will nominate two captains and four alternates as the brain trust
for the teams. If you've spent more than a millisecond observing the behavior
of well-compensated NHL players (and the NHLPA, for that matter), you know
they'll typically opt for the most benign path of least resistance in
decision-making. Choosing the local hero as a team captain fits that
conduct. 
But if the NHL has some influence
over the captaincy -- and let's be honest here and say that it does -- Staal is
also a politically safe selection: Sentimental but not forced, and a way to
escape what could be Sidney/Ovie overkill after the Winter Classic and several
years of inescapable hype for their rivalry.
3. Merchandising
UniWatch
passed along the concerns of a retailer about having All-Star Game jerseys
in stock for that weekend in Raleigh. One of the best-selling sweaters on-site
will be Staal (assuming his selection and good health.) An informed guess: The
NHL will have Staal, his number and a captain's 'C' on one of the sweater
designs, ready in stores well before the All-Star Game.
Finally, as Staal said himself:
Team Staal gives the locals a chance to become emotionally invested in one of
the squads. That's important when you consider how the new format stripped away
conference identification; what general rooting interest there was in the game went with it. 
Best guess: Staal and Nicklas
Lidstrom as captains. Which, at the very least, shifts the Sidney vs. Ovie
debate to the first pick in the draft. Unless it's Stamkos ... 932 days