Hurricanes trade captain Eric Staal to New York Rangers

The trade is a win for both teams.

Until we see the exact line combinations, fantasy owners can assume that Staal will be playing with some combination of New York’s top-six wings with Nash still out, including Mats Zuccarello (LW/RW, 80 percent owned), Chris Kreider (LW, 59 percent owned), J.T. Miller (C, 20 percent owned) and Jesper Fast (LW/RW, 2 percent owned).

Sweetening the deal to NY is the fact Staal is joining forces with his younger brother, Marc, who is an alternate captain and a dynamic defender who can also spark the offense.

Being a surprise has its downside.

For the Hurricanes, this surely was a hard decision despite the impressive return.

From the sound of things, Staal made his wishes to play with his brother in NY very clear – and they were granted…

He is the franchise’s all-time leader in playoff scoring (43 points), and led the team with 28 points (9g, 19a) during its 25-game run to the 2006 Stanley Cup championship.

For the Rangers, however, the trade is a bold power move that’s all about the present. Making the playoffs, and creating some legitimate interest, would be better for business. The trade was also something his fantasy owners needed. He’s yet to find an interested party.

Staal was experiencing a down season with Carolina this season.

So, when it comes to this year’s trade deadline, it’s complicated for Francis and the Canes. “He’s given his heart and soul to this team”, Jordan Staal said.

The spotlight will shine heavily on Staal as New York Rangers front office and fans will expect a lot from him.

But he has three points in the last five games and 159 shots on goal this season, more than any Ranger, and his possession metrics are high. Even if there are only so many prospects one National Hockey League team can accommodate at a given time, and a maximum of 50 players under contract, stockpiled picks can always be traded – for players or to move up in a draft or to a different draft year entirely.