As days become weeks and weeks become months in the 2016-17 NHL season, Chuck Fletcher pats himself on the back. Early returns indicate the Wild general manager nabbed the steal of the 2016 free agent class.

In part because of a payroll already approaching the salary cap, Fletcher declined to chase the big-money players expected to be immediate difference-makers this season, such as Minnesota natives Kyle Okposo and David Backes.

Instead, he brought home veteran center Eric Staal and fourth-line body guard Chris Stewart.

“I think free agency is the biggest misnomer in sports; there’s certainly nothing free about it,” Fletcher said after netting his catch. “I think a day like today is a pretty good opportunity to overpay players. And I like to think we avoided that.”

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Heading into Thursday night’s game against the Boston Bruins at Xcel Energy Center, Staal has been the Wild’s top center through the season’s first month and leads the Wild with 5 goals and 13 points in 15 games.

That’s one-third of his total production last season, when he split time between the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Rangers.

“I think being put in a position to play to my strengths has been key,” said Staal, who has 10 points over his last 10 games. “I came into the summer looking for an opportunity to show what I can do and play to the strengths of my game. And I came in here knowing there was an opportunity.

“No matter who I was (linemates) with, I was going to be playing with some pretty good players in a role that I’m comfortable and confident in.”

Staal came to Minnesota after Fletcher passed on top-tier forwards such as Okposo, Backes, Milan Lucic, Loui Eriksson, Andrew Ladd and Mikkel Boedker — the consensus cream of the free-agent crop last summer after Steven Stamkos re-upped early with Tampa Bay.

With Stamkos no longer on the market, Fletcher took his shot at Staal, signing the veteran to a comparatively modest three-year deal worth $3.5 million annually. With Staal on pace for 71 points, it appears to be money well spent; and it looks even better when considering the early production of other offseason signings.

It also raises the question: Where would the Wild be right now without Staal?

While it’s still early, Staal has been the Wild’s best forward, holding down the fort while the Wild battled through injuries to star left-winger Zach Parise, burgeoning forward Erik Haula and defensemen Jared Spurgeon and Marco Scandella.

In Parise’s absence, Staal stepped up as a legitimate two-way player.

No longer the player that’s going to hit the 100-point mark, as he did 10 years ago, Staal has nevertheless shown that he can still bury a puck. He has found a niche centering Nino Niederreiter and Charlie Coyle, a line that appears to be hitting its stride with 31 points between them.

“It’s been fun to be a part of that group,” Staal said. “We’re hoping for even brighter things ahead. There have been good signs; now we have to keep taking steps.”

Staal also has been a reliable defender — something coach Bruce Boudreau has placed a premium on early in his tenure — and his three power-play points are second only to Ryan Suter’s four.

“He’s making good plays. … He’s making his linemates better,” said Parise, who returned to the lineup for Tuesday’s 1-0 loss to Calgary. “He’s been doing a great job. He’s had a really, really good start to the season.”

Boudreau agreed that Staal has been one of the team’s top players this season, though he isn’t necessarily surprised. Boudreau was excited to get Staal months ago, as he remembered coaching against him when Boudreau was in Washington.

“When he was on top of his game, Carolina beat us all the time,” Boudreau said in the offseason. “When I talked to him … I thought he was so excited about the opportunity. It didn’t have much to do with money or any of that; he wanted the opportunity to be the Eric Staal that he was in the past. And I told him he would definitely get that chance here.”

Staal is making the most of that chance. Still, he is the first person to note that a hot start doesn’t mean a big year.

“It’s a long road yet ahead,” he said. “I believe this group can do some good things, and I’d like to be a main part of that.”

STEALING STAAL

It didn’t seem like a huge deal when the Wild signed center Eric Staal to a three-year, $10.5 million contract in July. But with 13 points in 15 games, while centering the top line, Staal is the early free-agent class leader among forwards.