CHARLOTTE, NC – The Hurricanes gave up the #8 draft pick plus Brandon Sutter and Brian Dumoulin, to get Pittsburgh Penguins center, Jordan Staal. This was a move that had many hockey fans shaking their heads in disbelief. Carolina’s answer to the question of why is it that a team has to give up a lot to get a good player. Well, the Hurricanes certainly did give up a lot. The Penguins selected Derrick Pouliot, a defenseman from Portland in the Western Hockey League, as the 8th pick.
Carolina has given up a decent center in Sutter for Staal, who in all honesty, does not appear to be that much of an upgrade. Sutter is definitely durable as he has not missed a game for Carolina for two seasons. He scored 32 points last season and 29 the season before. Jordan, meanwhile, will be joining his older brother Eric at Carolina. He played in 62 of Pittsburgh’s 82-game regular season. In the first round play-off loss against Philadelphia, Staal scored six goals and had three assists
It was while Jordan Staal was marrying his fiancée Heather in Thunder Bay, Ontario that he received news of the trade to Carolina. Earlier in the week Staal had turned down a 10-year contract offer from Pittsburgh. He had one year to run on his current contract, but when he sat down with Pittsburgh’s General Manager Ray Shero, they could not come to an agreement.
Jordan Staal, like his brother Eric was a second round draft pick, Jordan in 2009, and Eric in 2006. Staal will be 24 in September, 2012. In his time at Pittsburgh, he had a points total of 50 made up by scoring 25 goals and having 25 assists.
With one year left on Jordan Staal’s contract, the Hurricanes could have waited and signed him as a free agent next year. So the discussion will continue for some time on the worth and sense of the trade. Was it a good trade, time will tell, fans will be sorry to see Brandon Sutter move on, he is an excellent player and one who will develop even further by playing in Pittsburgh. This trade is one that fans wish Carolina could take back.
EddieMitchell@ProHockeyNews.com
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