The Carolina Hurricanes are reeling with all their injuries while being off to an 0-3 start to the season and it appears as though the team is considering trading Eric Staal. The Toronto Maple Leafs are reportedly interesting in acquiring the Hurricanes captain if he is on the market.
Staal, the Hurricanes No. 1 center, has one more year on his contract worth $8.26 million and it appears as though the Hurricanes may end up trading him if things don't turn around quickly.
Carolina lost to the New York Islanders twice in a home-and-home to start the season then fell to the Buffalo Sabres in a shootout Wednesday night on national television.
TSN Insider Darren Dreger said in a televised segment Tuesday that if Staal is on the table, the Maple Leafs are interested.
"Very interested," Dreger said of Toronto's potential pursuit of Staal per CBS Sports. "The key word is 'if,' 'if Eric Staal is available.' I know this, the Maple Leafs have had discussions with the Carolina Hurricanes in the past, most recently in the summer about the potential availability of the Hurricanes captain."
Dreger cautioned that the Hurricanes may ask for too much from the Maple Leafs for a deal to happen as the team reportedly wants a center in return for the deal, which would include Nazem Kadri or Tyler Bozak, and that Jake Gardiner will probably also be included.
While the asking price is steep, Dreger forecasted that Toronto may be willing to pull the trigger on the deal if those are the pieces included.
It'll be an interesting season for Staal as his cap hit and the fact that the team needs to start rebuilding soon could lead to Carolina dealing him, but the Hurricanes also won the Stanley Cup in 2006 with him on the team and may want to be loyal to the leader they drafted with the No. 2 overall pick in 2004.
General manager Ron Francis has plenty to think about regarding a potential trade, especially since the Hurricanes haven't made the playoffs since the 2008-09 campaign.
Staal, 29, has played in 771 games with the Hurricanes, notching 290 goals, 400 assists and 690 points.
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