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Rutherford on Staal trade: “There are maybe two or three other players that are like Jordan Staal. You just can’t find them”

Jim Rutherford

Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford spoke with the media following the announcement of the blockbuster trade sending Penguins star Jordan Staal to Carolina. Rutherford says it’s a deal he had to make because of how special a player he feels Staal is.

“I believe this improves our team,” Rutherford said. “There are maybe two or three other players, center ice men, that are like Jordan Staal. You just can’t find them. I don’t see this as a timing thing or a bold move it just happened that he was available to us and we were able to make the deal.”

Rutherford said he let Penguins GM Ray Shero know he was interested in Staal after the season was over, but said he talked to him just after 4 this afternoon and hammered out the deal by 6:45 this evening. These things move fast.

As far as worrying about whether or not Staal will re-sign with Carolina as he’s got free agency coming up next summer, Rutherford isn’t too worried about that.

“For many years the family said the brothers want to play together and now that they’re together I don’t know why you’d go somewhere else.”