From One Brother to Another... Eric Staal to the Big Apple

			2016		2016	2017
To New York	POS	GP	G/W	P	Cap	Status
Eric Staal	F	63	10	33	$8.25 mil	UFA
--------------
To Carolina	POS	GP	G/W	P	Cap	Status
Aleksi Saarela	F	0	0	0	USD	USD
2016 2nd Round Draft Pick
2017 2nd Round Draft Pick

Not a lot going on in the day before the trade deadline, but one of the biggest pieces in play this weekend moved and it was Eric Staal being dealt after contract talks failed, sending him to the big city lights of New York to play with his brother Marc Staal, for an unsigned prospect and a couple more 2nd round draft picks.

The elder Staal was the dominant force for the Hurricanes for so long, but now at age 31, different thoughts are running through one's head and being a part of a rebuilding franchise on a regular basis likely has lost its lustre, especially so many years after winning a Stanley Cup there.

Eric joins his brother Marc on a pretty solid Rangers team that does have a lot going for it in the 2016 season and coming off a decent, but not great, playoff run last year, they want to improve and make a mark in the Eastern Conference.

This year, Eric's production hasn't been terribly great, but neither was the team around him.  In joining the Rangers, he'll fill a good gap that Rick Nash has left behind in is injury and then when he returns, the Rangers are in amazing shape to make a good run in that Eastern Conference.

The Hurricanes, on the other hand, have their eyes on the Finnish prospect that was taken in the 2015 draft by the Rangers (3rd round, 89th overall) in Saarela and they get two prized picks in the 2nd round over the next two drafts.  That's an okay haul, if two of these pieces end up panning out for them.  Nevertheless, it's a long-term investment.

In the midst of Sunday night's action, John R. has moved out of the basement and into 25th, winning a tie-break with Grant at the moment, as they have both left Wes in the dust, 5 points behind, for last place.  This trade could go a long ways into guaranteeing that John doesn't finish dead last in the standings this year, because that New York offense could really do with a guy like Staal, since Nash has been out of the lineup for so long.