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Eric Staal happy to stay with ‘Canes, but only if they want him

Eric Staal, Ray Emery

Eric Staal

AP

Eric Staal might be the captain of the Carolina Hurricanes, but he isn’t sure what their plans are for him going forward. As they wrap up their sixth straight playoff-less campaign, Staal has just one more season left on his contract. There have been no extension talks yet, but he’s not sweating it.

“There are guys who have done it,” the 30-year-old forward told NHL.com. “To me, [a contract extension] is not something I need to happen.”

His reasoning is that he knows he’s good enough to stay in the NHL and if Carolina doesn’t want him, then he’ll simply play for another squad. To that end, he would be open to waiving his no-movement clause if asked, although whether or not he ultimately says yes would still depend on the destination.

“But I care about a lot of people in this organization and these fans, so I would like to be part of getting better and taking another step,” Staal added.

Aside from being the only NHL team he’s ever played for, playing with the Hurricanes also presents him with an opportunity to work with his brother, Jordan Staal. It is worth noting that there was a report prior to the trade deadline suggesting that Jordan might be shipped back to Pittsburgh this summer, but Hurricanes GM Ron Francis responded by stating, “We are not moving Jordan Staal.”

Eric Staal has 23 goals and 54 points in 76 contests this season.

Follow @RyanDadoun