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Report: ‘Canes assure Jordan Staal that Penguins trade rumors aren’t true (Updated)

Jordan Staal

Jordan Staal

Elsa

Back in 2012, then Carolina Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford acquired Jordan Staal from the Penguins after Staal reportedly rejected Pittsburgh’s 10-year offer. Now the general manager of the Penguins, could Rutherford really pull off a trade that brings him back to Pittsburgh?

That’s a real possibility according to a report from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, but there’s already conflicting information on the matter:

Current Hurricanes GM Ron Francis could not be reached to comment directly on Sunday, per the News & Observer. It is worth noting though that Staal does have a full no-trade clause in his contract. His older brother and teammate, Eric Staal, has one too and is reportedly unwilling to allow a move. However, Eric’s contract expires at the end of the 2015-16 campaign, so Jordan Staal doesn’t have any assurances that he’ll be playing with his brother in the long run even if he sticks with Carolina.

The Tribune-Review report specified that we aren’t likely to see a move until the summer and noted that the Penguins would need to free cap space to make room for Jordan Staal. So at the end of the day, his return might not happen even if all sides are interested.

Meanwhile, the March 2 trade deadline is approaching and Francis plans to be “fairly active” as the struggling Hurricanes focus on the future.

Update: Hurricanes GM Ron Francis has stated that his team isn’t moving Jordan Staal, per the News & Observer’s Chip Alexander.

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