Rangers land veteran Staal before trade deadline

Feb 13, 2016; Raleigh, NC, USA; Carolina Hurricanes forward Eric Staal (12) skates with the puck against the New York Islanders at PNC Arena.

The Canes could still move other players before Monday’s 3:00 deadline, but with Staal now elsewhere, the long-awaited remake of the Carolina Hurricanes has finally begun in earnest.

But Staal is free-agent eligible this summer, and earning $9.5 million in the final year of his contract, which is forcing the Hurricanes to decide on whether he should be a part of the future in Carolina.

The trade was finalized about an hour before the Hurricanes hosted the Blues, a game in which Staal was scratched from the lineup.

The eldest Staal has scored 30-plus goals five times in his career, and the four-time All-Star has 10 goals and 23 assists in 63 games this season. He has also been linked to Nashville, Dallas and the Rangers, where younger brother Marc is a star defenceman.

The 31-year-old Staal had spent his entire 12-year career with the Hurricanes, who drafted him with the second overall pick in 2003. Instead, he was cajoled into giving up Ryan Callahan and two first-round picks by his counterpart, Lightning GM Steve Yzerman. Given that the Rangers recently sent their 2016 first round pick at last year’s deadline for Keith Yandle, it’s no surprise they are holding back a bit.

While Eric is no longer the player he was when he first signed that seven-year deal with the Hurricanes, he remains an extremely talented center with strong leadership skills. With Marc’s brother in the top six, either Derick Brassard or Derek Stepan will move to the third line and Oscar Lindberg either becomes a fourth line scoring center or a third line wing.

“There were a lot of steps that happened after that hit that probably have put him in the position that he’s in now”, Eric Staal said at the time.

He leaves brother Jordan Staal. Strictly a rental, the Carolina Hurricanes will need to retain salary to maximize trade value (preferably the full 50 percent).

Recent team success is not a good enough reason for keeping Eric Staal.

“We’re looking at a player that we think can be energized by this trade”, Gorton said.