Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports
Back on March 5 of this year against the Philadelphia Flyers, New York Rangers top defenseman Marc Staal took a wicked deflected slapshot directly above his right eye, which has made him suffer, most likely, permanent damage of his vision in that eye.
A few months later in May, Staal said in an interview that he does not expect his right eye to fully heal, but will play through it nonetheless and will be back next season for The Blueshirts.
Really? Is he serious?
No offense to Staal, but hockey is an extremely dangerous sport where injuries lurk around every corner and he thinks he can play with a damaged eye containing blurred vision? I don’t care even if the other eye is 100 percent because playing hockey with only one good eye is suicide in my opinion.
I mean, I’m sorry, but that is just not a good or smart idea to say the least. If his right eye doesn’t fully heal, then I do not expect him to ever lace up the skates again, whether he wants to or not, and as a Rangers fan, it really does pain me to say that knowing that he is the teams’ best defenseman, but this is for Staal’s own well being.
I think it’s time for the Rangers organization to move on and for Staal to seriously think about retirement. In my opinion, unless his right eye fully heals, Staal cannot play another NHL game, as not only will he not be effective as a player, but can seriously put himself at risk for even greater injury.
