Staal grows stronger and tougher

RALEIGH -- Eric Staal returned to the Triangle last week bigger, leaner and stronger than he was a year ago, enjoying the benefits of a tough workout and nutrition program over the summer.

That's all part of the maturation process for the budding superstar as he approaches his 24th birthday. The Carolina Hurricanes expect it from him.

This fall, they're also expecting the Staal who emerged late last season when Rod Brind'Amour was injured. Filling the void left by the Canes' captain, Staal raised not only his offensive game but also his all-around game -- physically, defensively and mentally.

As Staal and the Hurricanes close in on a long-term contract that will make him among the highest-paid players in the league, the time has come for him to take the next step and join the NHL's elite.

His dynamic play last spring offered a preview of what Staal may look like in his prime. Now, it's time for him to deliver.

"That's the way he should be playing," forward Ray Whitney said. "Is he going to do that every night? No. He's going to have an off night now and then. But I think he realizes if he plays like that almost every night, he's going to be one of the top five forwards in the league."

In his second NHL season, Staal reached the 100-point mark and led the NHL in playoff scoring as the Canes won the Stanley Cup. Over the past two seasons, he has averaged 76 points -- below the level he expects of himself and the Canes expect from him.

But included in last year's 82 points are the 34 he scored in 23 games after Brind'Amour was lost for the season with a knee injury, a pace well beyond that of the 2005-06 season.

"I want to be back in the top five in scoring," Staal said. "Getting back to that 100-point plateau is something to shoot for, I think. The biggest thing is making it to the playoffs. I don't care how many points I have unless we're back in the playoffs. That's where we need to be and should be."

Physically, Staal has never been better prepared to carry that load, although he has missed just one game in four NHL seasons. He weighs 210 pounds, up from 204 last year but with substantially less body fat. Skinny as a scarecrow as an 18-year-old rookie, he is starting to fill out.

Some of that is nature, as he grows into his body. The rest is nurture. Staal spent the summer working out with a personal trainer, changed his diet and cut soda out of his life entirely -- the modified Cam Ward diet.

"It's a process you kind of have to go through," said assistant general manager Ron Francis, who also made his NHL debut at 18. "He's certainly a lot stronger now as each year goes on. Mentally, he should be a lot tougher.

"I think that was sort of what happened last year. When we had the injuries, I remember going to him, but I didn't have to say anything. He knew what he needed to do, and he was ready for the challenge."

For motivation, he can look to preseason hockey magazines. Most predict he will fall in the 70- to 80-point range. Based on the past two seasons, it's probably a fair appraisal. Staal's confident they're selling him short.

"I think I'm a point-a-game or better player," he said. "I proved that the one year, and last year was a good season, but I still think I have more. There's a lot of things that have to go right. We'll continue to work at it and hopefully prove those guys wrong."

The Hurricanes hope to have Staal's new contract in place before training camp opens. He's going to get superstar money, perhaps eight digits in some years of the contract.

Staal is going to have to play pretty well to earn that money, but he's more than capable of doing it.

"He's just going to get better and better," Brind'Amour said. "You're going to talk about him the way they talk about [Sidney] Crosby or [Evgeni] Malkin. There's no reason for that not to happen."