THUNDER BAY — Thunder Bay forward Eric Staal is expected to sign a one-year deal to join the Florida Panthers, according to ESPN.
Staal, who did not play in the NHL last season, was unable to sign with the Panthers to start the season due to salary-cap limitations.
An injury to defenceman Aaron Ekblad, whose $7.5-million cap hit was placed on long-term injured reserve earlier in the week, freed up the space necessary to ink the 37-year-old Staal to a league minimum deal worth $750,000.
Staal, who skated for Team Canada at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, has 441 goals and 1,034 points in 1,293 career NHL games. He won a Stanley Cup with Carolina in 2006.
He was drafted by Carolina third overall in 2003 and spent 12 seasons with the organization before being traded to the New York Rangers at the deadline in 2016. He signed as a free agent with Minnesota that summer, and spent four seasons with the Wild before being dealt to Buffalo in 2020.
Staal was then traded to Montreal mid-season and helped lead the Canadiens to the 2021 Stanley Cup final.
The soon-to-be 38-year-old dressed for four games with the American Hockey League’s Iowa Wild last season, putting up five points in four outings. Staal, who went to the Panthers camp on a professional tryout offer, will join younger brother Marc in Florida. Marc Staal inked a one-year deal with Florida this past summer.
