After Eric Staal was traded to the New York Rangers during the 2015-16 season, there was some speculation that the forward could return to the Carolina Hurricanes as a free agent over the summer. Those rumors may be put to rest as new reports indicate a reunion won’t be in the works.
Canes GM Ron Francis says he has had no contact with Eric Staal, indicating it is extremely unlikely Staal might return to Carolina.
— Chip Alexander (@ice_chip) June 29, 2016
If the team having no contact with Staal isn’t enough evidence that he won’t be back, consider this other statement from GM Ron Francis.
Francis noted Eric Staal was "a great player in our market for a long time." Ended comments on Staal by saying, "We wish him the best."
— Chip Alexander (@ice_chip) June 29, 2016
And that should just about do it.
Staal, 31, may have a difficult time finding a contract he likes. After putting up 33 points in 63 games with the Hurricanes in 2015-16, he was traded to the Rangers and managed just six points across 20 games. Things didn’t pick up in the playoffs as he failed to tally a point in five contests. Staal’s disappearing act near the end of the season and in the playoffs won’t give too many teams faith that he can still produce or that he deserves significant money. A team looking to add his veteran experience might be turned off from the fact he completely vanished in the postseason.
Staal is coming off of a huge seven-year contract which carried an average cap hit of $8.25 million. He hasn’t lived up to that contract in recent years and should be expecting a massive cut from a team looking to sign him for 2016-17.
