Jordan Staal was already a Stanley Cup champion. In 2009, he was part of the Pittsburgh Penguins team that swept the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Finals before getting their revenge on the Detroit Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Final. Staal was 19 years old and playing in his second season. He'd already been to the top of the mountain.
Joining the Canes in 2012, Staal understood firsthand what this organization had been through during their toughest years. As the longest-tenured player and longest-tenured captain in team history, Staal had been through some battles. Much like Taylor Hall did this season, the captain showed shades of his younger self and put the league on notice well into June.
Staal hit 20 goals for the first time in a decade, and it was just the start
There was already plenty of reason for celebration to begin the season for Staal. During the team's State Fair road trip through California, he scored 12 seconds into a contest against the Kings, notching his 300th goal. A few weeks later, Staal played in his 914th game as a Hurricane, passing Glen Wesley for the most since relocation. He also dropped the mitts in that game against the Wild.
Staal reached the 1,400-game mark at the start of April against Columbus, and he scored his 20th goal in his final appearance of the year against the Mammoth. It was the first time since the 2015-16 season that he reached 20 goals, and his 36 points marked his sixth straight campaign with at least 30. Staal also won 55.5 percent of his draws and laid 166 hits.
When the postseason began, like most of the team, he didn't get off to a quick start. Through the first three rounds, Staal had just two goals and five points. Of course, he made his mark on the Ottawa series by squaring off with Brady Tkachuk off the hop. Then, he got caught fire at the best time. What Staal did against Vegas was unlike anything we'd ever seen.
The captain scored a goal in each of the first five games of the Stanley Cup Final, double-dipping in Game 4. His second goal of that contest served as the game-winner and saw him score as he fell to the ice. He became the 20th player in NHL history to score at least six goals in the Cup Final, securing the Conn Smythe Trophy and making him the oldest player to be named the postseason MVP.
In a contract year, it's within reason to think that this is it for Staal
This season marks the end of Staal's four-year contract, paying him a touch under $3 million. He's set to embark on his 21st NHL season, his 15th with Carolina, and his ninth as the captain. Now, he's a two-time Stanley Cup champion, once with the "C" on his sweater, a Conn Smythe Trophy recipient, and a two-time Selke Trophy finalist. The only thing left for him to do is win the Selke.
He should hit 200 goals and 500 points as a Hurricane early in the year, and he's 28 games away from being the first to play 1,000 games in Raleigh. His legacy has already been cemented in franchise history. Now, he's just trying to add to it. There is little doubt in my mind that his #11 will be hanging from the rafters of the Lenovo Center in the future.
Staal turns 38 in a week, though you probably wouldn't be able to tell. With his deal expiring, it's not crazy to think that the 2026-27 season could be his last. Of course, part of that could depend on how it all ends. Obviously, I'd love to see it end the same way it did in June, with the captain skating up to Gary Bettman, shaking his hand, posing for a picture, and hoisting the Cup over his head again.
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