[Countdown] Matt Stajan: 1,000 Games Played (17 Games Remaining)

[jlh2640]

He is a great team guy but is not NHL caliber anymore

[CroFlames]

He didn't come as advertised, but truly a man who embraced whatever role was given to him. As a bottom line forward and PKer, he was really good. Not to mention being a great locker room guy by many accounts, and helping to develop our current crop of core players that will hopefully win us a championship.

As a Flames fan who wasn't around for the glory of the 80s, and experienced some truly dark times in the 90s, his series clinching goal is probably one of my top 5 Flames moments of all time.

His penalty shot goal for his son Emerson was a special moment, and one I'll probably never forget as a Flames fan. Few things within the game transcend the game, and that was one of them.

I hope he gets to 1,000 and I am pretty confident he will. This will be his last season and it's been a little disappointing, but that doesn't take away from what he's done for the club over the past 8 seasons.

All the best Matty. Let's go get a Cup together!

[ComixZone]

17 Games remaining until Staj hits 1,000 games played!

As of late, he's been a crucial piece in what has been a very effective 4th line with Lomberg and Lazar. I think he's quietly proving himself to be a strong 4th line centre that helps the players around him. This talk of him being "not NHL caliber" just isn't true.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

17 Games remaining until Staj hits 1,000 games played!

As of late, he's been a crucial piece in what has been a very effective 4th line with Lomberg and Lazar. I think he's quietly proving himself to be a strong 4th line centre that helps the players around him. This talk of him being "not NHL caliber" just isn't true.

Like a lot of veterans (and unlike a lot of kids) he gets better as the season goes on. That's a function of experience versus adrenaline. I still think he'd be even better as a winger, with less quick movement required in the D zone. I'm hoping they treat him right when he is not extended this year. I don't know what his post hockey plans are, but I think he's got a lot of insight to provide the young players.

[shadowlord]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

I think he's quietly proving himself to be a strong 4th line centre that helps the players around him.

He's helped younger players in that 4th line role before as well, so it's nothing new to me.

Remember the Vancouver series when Ferland made an impact? He credited Stajan with aiding in his growth.

[dino7c]

he is fine on the 4th line...overpaid but who cares its his last season

[jlh2640]

He has a spot on this team, for sure. But he is done after this year I think

[driveway]

One of the things I really like about having a guy like Stajan on the team is he shows young players how to be a pro. He’s been pretty much everything in his career, from 1st line centre to fourth line plug, but he keeps getting them checks.

For players like Hathaway, Ferland, Lomberg, Jankowski, coming into the organization and having someone around to show you what it takes to be an everyday NHLer when you’re not a star, is - I think - invaluable.

[Karl]

From Oct-Dec, Stajan for the most part looked basically totally unplayable (as did the rest of the 4th liners with or without Stajan). He couldn't keep up with the pace of the NHL and was a big reason for him and his line getting hemmed in the defensive zone as often as they did. In short, it looked as if he was very much completely done.

Ever since the calendar has switched over from 2017 to 2018, Stajan has been so much better and is showing he can still somewhat keep up with the pace of the game and has become a serviceable player again at this point.

It isn't realistic to expect Stajan to produce much more at all in terms of goals or points, but at least he is playing way better now and showing that he does in fact actually still have something left in him and that the game has not completely passed him by right now.