'Positive indications' veteran C Staal will sign with Panthers
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Eric Staal could be close to returning to the NHL with the Florida Panthers after sitting out the entire 2021-22 season.
TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston reports there's "positive indications" the veteran centre will sign with the Panthers after spending training camp with the team on a PTO. The development comes after Florida freed up $7.5 million in cap space earlier this week by placing defenceman Aaron Ekblad on long-term injured reserve.
"Where that extra little bit of cap room might come into play for Florida though is with Eric Staal – a player that has been with their team through training camp on a tryout contract, still skating with Florida and hoping to get a deal done there," Johnston said on Insider Trading. "They're still working out some cap-related decisions in terms of getting him signed to a league-minimum deal. But after not playing at all in the NHL last season, there are some positive indications that Eric Staal could join the Panthers and, of course, that would be a great story because [his brother] Marc Staal, who you mentioned, is playing so many minutes [and] is already on that roster."
The 37-year-old Staal had five points in four AHL games during a tryout with the Iowa Wild last season. He also suited up for Team Canada at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, posting one goal and four points in five games.
A member of the Triple Gold club with a Stanley Cup (2006), World Championship gold (2007) and Olympic gold (2010), he has 441 goals and 1,034 points in 1,293 career NHL games split between the Carolina Hurricanes, New York Rangers, Minnesota Wild, Buffalo Sabres, and Montreal Canadiens.
Update on Panthers' Ekblad
Panthers general manager Bill Zito said earlier this week that Ekblad's injury was not season-ending, and a clearer timeline appears to be developing.
TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun reports Ekblad is expected to miss four-to-seven weeks with the groin injury.
“It’s not an ideal situation to lose some of the key players from our team,” Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov said earlier this week. “But at the same time, of course, you have to battle, not just for yourself but for the guy who’s missing. You have to battle for him as well, got to play for him.”
Florida is off to a 3-1 start this season after leading the Eastern Conference in points a year ago. The Panthers will host the Tampa Bay Lightning (1-3) on Friday.