RALEIGH, N.C. -- The Carolina Hurricanes have dealt captain Eric Staal to the New York Rangers.
The Thunder Bay forward had 775 points in 909 games with the Hurricanes, who will retain 50 per cent of the 31-year-old’s salary in the multi-player deal.
The Hurricanes received second-rounders in 2016 and 2017 and prospect Aleksi Saareta in exchange for Staal, who has 10 goals and 33 points in 63 games this season, his lowest offensive ouput since his rookie season in 2003-04.
"Eric has been the face of this franchise for a long time, and we thank him for his dedication, leadership and many contributions," Hurricanes general manager Ron Francis said. "We felt this was an important opportunity for us to continue our work in building an organization that can consistently compete in the Stanley Cup playoffs."
Staal was drafted No. 2 overall by Carolina in 2003. He'll join younger brother Marc, a long-time defenceman with the Rangers. The eldest of three NHL-playing brothers, In the final year of a seven-year, $55.75-million contract, he can become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
With files from The Canadian Press
