Back in June, Hurricanes center Jordan Staal indicated that he wasn’t interested in pursuing an early extension and that they’d look at his contract after the upcoming season. However, it appears his stance has changed since then. The 34-year-old told NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti that there have been a few discussions about a new deal this summer and expressed his desire to stick around.
"I want to be in the Hurricanes organization for as long as I can, and I’m sure whether it’s an extension now or they re-up me at the end of the year or if they’re done with me, it will happen," Staal said.
Staal is entering his 11th season with Carolina and his fourth as team captain. He remains one of the stronger defensive middlemen in the league, and even as his ice time has dipped a bit lately, he still managed to put up 17 goals and 19 assists last season. Those numbers won’t be enough to earn him a raise on the $6M AAV that he currently has. But a multiyear agreement at a bit of a lower rate is something that could be hashed out by both sides whether it’s in the coming days or closer to next summer.
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