Staal might understand.
Montreal is already an undesirable place to go unless you pay more than the others, and even then...
I'm more on GEEMAN's side in this: The optics of sitting out a highly respected veteran in the NHL, who chose to lift his no-trade claude despite not initially wanting to come here, would be terrible. Maybe not right now, but the next time you want to trade for someone with a NTC and they don't want to come here, or even a UFA, the amount of convincing required to get them to accept to come here will be incredible.
I'm also of the impression that, Staal agreed to get traded here to play, not to be a spare part. His family's in the US and he can't visit them, he didn't give that up to be left aside.