NHL's Top 50: Eric Staal (No. 18)

FanHouse's Adam Gretz takes a look at his top 50 players in the NHL. No. 18 is Carolina Hurricanes forward Eric Staal.

The return of Paul Maurice behind the Hurricanes' bench in December ignited a furious second-half rally that saw Carolina enter the postseason as one of the hottest teams in the NHL. The 'Canes upset the New Jersey Devils in in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal, thanks in large part to an unexpected meltdown by Martin Brodeur and the Devils' defense in Game 7. In the second round, the Hurricanes again pulled off an upset, knocking off the No. 1 seed Boston Bruins. Leading the way was former No. 2 overall pick Eric Staal. He was a dominant force through the opening two rounds, scoring 10 goals in his first 14 playoff games.

The NHL's Top 50 Players: See the Entire List

The Numbers: Eric Staal
Eric Staal	Goals	Assists	Points	Pim
Career Totals	164	194	358	289
Average Per 82 Games	32.8	38.5	72.1	58.2

Draft Year: 2003

The first skater taken in the '03 draft after goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury went No. 1 overall. Six years later, he's been the most productive player in one of the best drafts in recent memory.

Why He's On My List

In his first five NHL seasons, Staal has already registered four 30-goal campaigns, and twice eclipsed the 40-goal plateau. During the 2008-09 season, he led the Hurricanes with 40 goals and 75 points, while also setting a franchise record with four hat tricks, including a four-goal performance in a 9-3 rout of the Tampa Bay Lightning on March 7, 2009. He was one of the main reasons (along with the play of goaltender Cam Ward) that the Hurricanes managed to knock off the top-seeded Boston Bruins (as well as the New Jersey Devils) to make a surprising run to the Eastern Conference Finals. In his two playoff appearances, he's been a point-per-game player, including a team-high 28 points in 25 games in 2005-06 when the Hurricanes won the first Stanley Cup in franchise history. A three-time All-Star that has missed just one game in his career (during his rookie season).

Obligatory YouTube Video

Eric Staal's day with the Stanley Cup.