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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Knightfall" data-source="post: 3075736" data-attributes="member: 2012">Staal impressive at Pens campAssociated Press9/20/2006 1:14:13 PMMONCTON, N.B. (CP) - Jordan Staal isn't complaining.On any other team in the NHL, the second overall pick in this year's entry draft would be in the spotlight right now but on the Pittsburgh Penguins he's far from it. Not with Evgeni Malkin at his first camp, Sidney Crosby at his second and Marc-Andre Fleury at his third."I've been under the radar my whole life and I really don't mind it," the 18-year-old Staal said Wednesday after practice. "It's kind of nice, actually. I'm just trying to play steady hockey and see what happens."What's happened is that what was originally an easy decision for the Penguins, sending him back to the OHL's Peterborough Petes for another season, has become a little less automatic because of his impressive showing in training camp. Odds are he's still going back to junior, but he's made the decision more interesting."He's done a fantastic job," said head coach Michel Therrien. "But in the meantime you want to make sure for his development that at 18 years old he's got to play. That's the most important thing. He needs ice time and he needs to get put in every situation for his own good. So that's a decision we're going to have to make. Is he better to play with us or better to play in junior?"Staal, the third of the four Thunder Bay, Ont., brothers who may all play in the NHL following Stanley Cup champion Eric in Carolina, also stood out in his taste of NHL action, Tuesday's 5-2 loss to Ottawa in Halifax."As the scrimmages went on in camp he's improved," Crosby said after Wednesday's pre-game skate, Staal listening attentively nearby in the dressing room. "Last night he used his size to his advantage. When you come to camp you have to play to your strengths and show what they are. I think he's done that."On Wednesday morning Staal arrived to the Moncton Coliseum and saw his name pencilled in on the top line with Crosby and Colby Armstrong for that night's game against Philadelphia."I think I'm getting more and more confident out there the longer I'm here," said Staal, who had 68 points (28-40) in 68 games with the Petes last season. "I'm really happy with what I've accomplished so far and hopefully I can keep getting better."If the Carolina Hurricanes had their way, he'd be at camp with them and older brother Eric. You can bet Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford would trade University of Michigan defenceman Jack Johnson, the third overall pick from the '05 draft, in exchange for Staal. But the Penguins aren't interested."I think Jordan is a special kid, a special player," said Pens GM Ray Shero. "It's so hard to defend against players that are 6-4 like that, he's got skill, hockey sense ... I understand the other kid (Johnson) is a special player too but we drafted Jordan. We're going to take a good look at him here in camp. I really want to keep this player."Staal is a natural centre so playing wing Wednesday was pretty much a first. The Penguins want to look at him at both centre and wing as they decide his long-term future. With Crosby and Malkin settled in as the 1-2 guys down the middle, the decision down the road for Pittsburgh is whether they want a 1-2-3 punch at centre or ask Staal to play wing on the top line.It's a nice problem to have if you're Shero."We had a really good team in Nashville (where he was assistant GM), we always had good defence, a great goalie, we were really good on the wings, but we could never find centres. It was tough,'' Shero said. "We searched for years and it was hard to find. So to have three kids like this, boy, that's nice."Crosby played both wing and centre last season and doesn't hide that he much prefers to be in the middle, where Therrien put him after taking over the team midway through last year."For me I found I wasn't able to get my feet moving as much playing wing," said Crosby. "I was caught standing still a little bit more just because your job is basically moving the puck up to centre or the far wing."Staal insists he doesn't care, wing or centre, it's all good."Anything pretty much, whatever the coach wants me to play I'll play, doesn't really matter," said Staal. "Whether it's left wing, centre or defence, I'll just go out and play."And if it's back to junior, so be it."Whatever they think is better for my development I'll go and do it, whether it's back in Peterborough or here," he said. "I'm sure I'll enjoy myself back in Peterborough, which is a great organization, if I go back there."A ticket to junior would also likely mean a trip to Sweden during the holidays for the world junior hockey championship, just like brother Mark Staal, a highly touted defenceman in the New York Rangers system, did last year in Vancouver."Yeah, I saw Mark his win the gold medal and he said it was an unbelievable experience. I'd love to be part of Team Canada and win another gold. If I'm back in junior I'd love to be part of that team and win another medal."The collective bargaining agreement comes into play here as well. Unrestricted free agency now kicks in after seven years in the NHL, so an 18-year-old rookie can be gone at 25. With that in mind, the Pens are better off staggering Crosby, Malkin and Staal all one year apart so as not to be faced with having two of them become unrestricted the same summer.Big brother Eric, meanwhile, hasn't called him every day to check in."He just got engaged so I don't think he's too worried about what I'm doing out here," said Jordan Staal. "He hasn't said a whole lot, he's busy himself. He just basically told me to keep it up and hopefully make the team."Nor has Crosby offered up too many pointers."He's handling it well, I don't think anyone has to sit down and talk to him," said Crosby. "You know, it's only my second year, I can't act like I'm a 10-year veteran. I'm only a year older than him."</blockquote>

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