BUFFALO, N.Y. – Thunder Bay’s Eric Staal could be on the move again.
The veteran forward was shocked this past summer to learn he’d been dealt by the Minnesota Wild to the Buffalo Sabres, but has struggled to find his groove in 2020-21.
Staal has just three goals and 10 points in 25 games this season, though he has picked up assists in each of his last two games.
According to TSN hockey insider Pierre LeBrun, the pending free agent, who has a partial no-trade clause in his contract, might be open to moving on from the Sabres to a contending team.
Buffalo is dead last in the East Division with a 6-15-4 record, 16 points out of playoff spot with 31 games to go.
LeBrun said unrestricted free agents like the 36-year-old Staal are good candidates to be moved at the NHL’s April 12 trade deadline.
“He was dealt sort of against his will to the Sabres in the off-season. I'm told that he would be open to a deal to a contender. He has a partial no-trade with 10 teams on it. But for the right team, he would certainly go. He's living alone in Buffalo, his family is not with him, so what's the difference [from] one hotel to another? “ LeBrun said Tuesday on TSN.
Where he might land is another story.
LeBrun said Edmonton, a team that’s had an up-and-down season, but is still in contention for top spot in the NHL North Division could be a potential landing spot.
However, he pointed out, the Oilers are up against the cap, so any salary they bring in would have to be matched going out.
Others, including LeBrun, have suggested Staal might be up for a reunification with his brother, Jordan, in Carolina.
LeBrun on Thursday suggested the Hurricanes might wait until closer to the deadline to reach out to Buffalo.
“It’s a storyline that I think a lot of people can get behind,” LeBrun said during an intermission chat between periods of the Toronto/Winnipeg game.
Staal, a former captain and second overall pick with the Hurricanes, spent the first 12 seasons of his career with the Hurricanes, winning a Stanley Cup in 2006.
He was traded to the New York Rangers at the trade deadline in 2016, then signed as a free agent with the Wild that summer.
The former 100-point player, had a resurgence in St. Paul, scoring 92 goals over his first three seasons with the Wild.
He’s on the final year of a two-year extension he signed with Minnesota in 2019 and carries a $3.25-million cap hit.
