Where we are, is you said Staal is not the only defensemen who can or will defend against the cycle. To say Quinn is standing on his bench watching 5 defensemen who can’t and or won’t defend the cycle again is out there. They have played two games, one where they only gave up one goal, and another gave up 4 against one of the better groups of forwards in the NHL. NHL defensemen get beat all the time or other teams wouldn’t score. Even Marc Staal who on a two on two against Winnipeg, dogged it back to his net and got beat. I’m not sitting here saying the defence is great, because it does need work, like all teams at the start of a season.
Rangers are in a rebuild, Staal’s cap hit, return on investment, and age make him the next guy on the block. Rangers have more kids coming on D next year, Staal is the expendable guy. No secret the Rangers could use some more cap room, but the more likely scenario is no other team will want him at his price, and the Rangers will be stuck with him.