Report: Hurricanes sign captain and center to a four-year, 2.9 million dollar contract

Staal was in the final year of a 10-year contract with a $6 million cap hit, a deal he originally signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He was set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and would have likely been one of the top centers on the market. Since he doesn’t turn 35 until September, his deal does not qualify as a 35+ contract, meaning the Canes won’t be penalized if he retires before the end of his contract.

Staal is currently the only player with a $2.9 million cap hit, with Ottawa Senators winger Mathieu Joseph and Nashville Predators center Colton Sissons being his closest comparables.

Staal played 81 games in the 2022-23 regular season, with 17 goals, 17 assists, and 34 points, along with two goals, six assists, and eight points in 15 playoff games for the Canes. He’s better known for his defensive play, tied for 12th in the league among forwards with 500 5v5 minutes of ice time in expected goals against per 60 with 2.09.

Staal was originally a second overall pick of the Penguins in 2006, spending six seasons with the franchise and winning a Stanley Cup in 2009. He was traded to the Canes in 2012 for Brandon Sutter, Brian Dumoulin, and a 2012 first round pick that became Derrick Pouliot, and has since spent the last 11 seasons with Carolina.

Staal is the first signing of the offseason for the Canes, although they still have two restricted free agents and 12 unrestricted free agents. Some of the big names they need to re-sign include Max Pacioretty, Frederik Andersen, and Shayne Gostisbehere.

The Canes finished first in the Metropolitan and second in the NHL with a 52-21-9 record, and went all the way to the Eastern Conference Final before they were swept by the Florida Panthers. They currently have their first round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, and will be selecting 30th overall barring any moves.