Some interesting times are ahead for the Staal Brothers.
Marc Staal has one more year left on his contract with the New York Rangers and even though it would seem logical that both sides would try to extend his deal this offseason, especially with Staal's agent saying that his client would like to stay in New York long term, there is no news of them being close to a new deal or even discussing it.
No matter where he signs, the defenseman will not come cheaply and that could be a snafu for the Rangers, who are always hard pressed to fit under the salary cap.
According to Cap Geek, Staal will earn $5,450,000 this coming season on a deal that averaged $3,975,000 per year. Many speculate that he will not accept anything less than what teammate Dan Girardi recently received, a six-year, $33 million dollar contract, ($5.5 million per year).
This is kind of where Jordan Staal was with the Penguins, before the Canes made the huge draft day trade to acquire the center. Jordan had one more year left on his contract, although before the trade he reportedly turned down a 10 year, $60 million contract offer from the Pens, then later signed the exact same deal with the Hurricanes after the trade.
There was little doubt that Jordan wanted to come to Carolina, but what about Marc? So far there is no public indication that the blueliner wishes to join his clan, but that doesn't mean the idea isn't out there.
Should the Canes make a push for him?
If Ron Francis and company wanted to acquire this player, they could go about it in a couple of different ways. They could aggressively go after him now and offer draft picks or prospects, or even a roster player for him.
Or they could gamble and wait until he is a free agent and just try to sign him at that time. A lot could happen before then though.
Taking away the fact that he is a Staal, there is little doubt that Marc could help out the Carolina blueline. He has size, grit, and a reputation to be able to shut down some of the top players in the league, at times. But is another Staal in the dressing room a good idea?
Marc wears the "A" now for the Rangers, but to give him an "A" in Carolina would mean that the captain and alternates would all be Staals. Even if he did not wear a letter, the addition of another brother might create a "clique" of sorts. Or would each brother embrace the rest of the team and have their own set of friends?
Another issue the Hurricanes must consider though is that Eric Staal's contract is also winding down. He has two years left on his deal that will pay him $9,250,000 and $9,500,000 for the next two seasons. Will they want to re-sign him?
If the Canes fail to make it to the post season for a sixth straight year, the captain might end up taking the fall and could very well be traded himself.
If that was the case it might make things messy with two brothers on the team, (and another in the system.)
In a perfect world, having all four Staal brothers playing for the same franchise would be a marketing dream. If they all played to their potential, they would also be a force on the ice. But so far, the union of Jordan and Eric has not been as dominating as fans had hoped.
The acquisition of Marc Staal would be an expensive gamble. Should the Canes roll the dice?