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5 Players The Hurricanes Regret Moving On From

By Alex Ohari

RALEIGH, NC - MARCH 06: Anton Khudobin #31 of the Carolina Hurricanes goes down in the crease to deflect a puck away during their NHL game against the Minnesota Wild at PNC Arena on March 6, 2015 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Gregg Forwerck/NHLI via Getty Images)
RALEIGH, NC - MARCH 06: Anton Khudobin #31 of the Carolina Hurricanes goes down in the crease to deflect a puck away during their NHL game against the Minnesota Wild at PNC Arena on March 6, 2015 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Gregg Forwerck/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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#5 Eric Staal

Now, I know what you’re thinking. Eric Staal? He was finished here. It was time for him to go. His career looked done. Washed. Yeah, I get it. But despite all that, in hindsight, do the Hurricanes regret moving on from their former Captain?

WINNIPEG, MB – FEBRUARY 5: Eric Staal #12 of the Carolina Hurricanes looks on from the bench prior to puck drop against the Winnipeg Jets at the MTS Centre on February 5, 2016 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. (Photo by Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images)
WINNIPEG, MB – FEBRUARY 5: Eric Staal #12 of the Carolina Hurricanes looks on from the bench prior to puck drop against the Winnipeg Jets at the MTS Centre on February 5, 2016 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. (Photo by Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images) /

It’s a real tough sell. Staal, after having knee surgery due to a devastating injury at the World Championships in 2013, was in consistent decline with the team. His production plummeted to just 10 goals and 33 points in 63 games with the Canes in 2015-16, and they made the choice to ship him off to New York, due to his impending UFA status.

He fared no better in New York, (horribly, actually) with 6 points in 20 games and went pointless in 5 playoff games. The Hurricanes’ haul for Staal looked slim at the trade deadline (Aleksi Saarela and two 2nd round picks) but turned out to be a steal for the team; one of those picks was traded for Teuvo Teravainen.

Staal, looking like a shell of his former self, secured a 3-year contract in Minnesota, where he’s undergone a complete resurgence in his career. He exploded with 28 goals and 65 points in 2016-17, followed by a 42-goal year in 2017-18, which was good enough for 4th in the NHL (the last Hurricane to score 42+ goals was Staal himself in 2005-06).

RALEIGH, NC – JUNE 19: Eric Staal #12 of the Carolina Hurricanes kisses the Stanley Cup after defeating the Edmonton Oilers in game seven of the 2006 NHL Stanley Cup Finals on June 19, 2006 at the RBC Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Hurricanes defeated the Oilers 3-1 to win the Stanley Cup finals 4 games to 3. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
RALEIGH, NC – JUNE 19: Eric Staal #12 of the Carolina Hurricanes kisses the Stanley Cup after defeating the Edmonton Oilers in game seven of the 2006 NHL Stanley Cup Finals on June 19, 2006 at the RBC Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Hurricanes defeated the Oilers 3-1 to win the Stanley Cup finals 4 games to 3. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /

This past season, his production dipped to 22 goals and 52 points, but he was 2nd in both categories on a sub-par Minnesota Wild team. Despite his phenomenal production, he actually re-signed for less money than his original deal – a 3.25 AAV for 2 years. Superb value for a top-6 center.

The Hurricanes knew what they were doing when they traded Staal. I would probably bet against saying they regret it – it was a necessary step for the franchise. However, the thought of a 1-2-3 punch of Sebastian Aho, Eric Staal and Jordan Staal down the middle is salivating to say the least.

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