Eric Staal and Jordan Staal. Photo: Getty Images via Carolina Hurricanes.
By The Raleigh Telegram
RALEIGH – Last week, the Carolina Hurricanes announced that they acquired center Jordan Staal from the Pittsburgh Penguins. In exchange for Staal, Carolina has traded center Brandon Sutter, defenseman Brian Dumoulin and its first-round pick (8th overall) in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft to the Penguins. Jordan Staal is the younger brother of the popular Carolina Hurricanes captain Eric Staal. This weekend, the team has also signed nine other players during the NHL draft in Pittsburgh.
“Jordan is an elite two-way player who possesses a rare combination of speed, size, scoring ability and defensive responsibility,” said Jim Rutherford, President of the Carolina Hurricanes. “For his young age, he has a wealth of NHL experience, including winning the Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh in 2009. And he is obviously a natural fit for our team in joining our captain, his older brother Eric.”
Rutherford mentioned in a Carolina Hurricanes blog that he thought Jordan Staal could be a future superstar.
“This is a major hockey deal,” said Jim Rutherford, the Carolina Hurricanes president and general manager. “We’re getting an elite player, a guy that, in my opinion, could be a superstar in this league.”
“He’s only 24 years old,” Rutherford added. “He’s still got an upside yet, and I’d expect those numbers would go up.”
“I believe this improves our team. You name me two or three other center-ice men that are like Jordan Staal. You just can’t find them,” he continued. “He can skate and play the game in both ends of the rink. He can go into buildings like New Jersey and Philadelphia that are tough buildings to play in, and he can be the leader in those games instead of waiting to see how the game’s going to go.
As Brandon Sutter and Brian Dumoulin leave the Hurricanes, Rutherford said he wished the players well.
“We want to thank Brandon Sutter for his time in Carolina. He has been a very good player for our team, and we wish both Brandon and Brian the best as their careers continue,” he said.
Staal, age 23, completed his sixth NHL season in 2011-12, posting career highs in assists (25) and points (50), and a career second-best 25 goals, despite playing in just 62 of Pittsburgh’s 82 regular-season games.
The Thunder Bay, Ontario, native added six goals and three assists (9 points) to lead the Penguins in scoring in their six-game, first-round playoff series against Philadelphia.
In six NHL seasons with Pittsburgh, Staal (6’4”, 220 lbs.) has scored 120 goals, earned 128 assists and posted a plus-53 plus/minus rating in 431 regular-season games. The Penguins have qualified for the playoffs in each of his six seasons, and he captured the Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh in 2009. In 73 career Stanley Cup playoff games, he has scored 23 goals and earned 13 assists (36 points). The Penguins selected Staal in the first round, second overall, in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.
If Jordan Staal enjoys even a fraction of the popularity that Eric Staal has enjoyed in the Triangle, the team should be extremely happy. Eric Staal is usually swamped by autograph seekers at public events and during the All Star game in Raleigh last year, he was one of the most popular draws.
In other news, during the NHL Draft at the CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania this weekend, the team selected nine players in the second through seventh rounds. The Hurricanes said they selected five forwards, two defensemen and two goaltenders on the draft’s second day after having traded the eighth overall pick to Pittsburgh on Friday in the deal that brought center Jordan Staal to the Hurricanes.
The Hurricanes used its first of two second-round picks (38th overall) to select left wing Phil Di Giuseppe (5’11”, 197 lbs.) from the University of Michigan. Di Giuseppe, 18, notched 11 goals and earned 15 assists (26 points) in 40 games with the Wolverines during his freshman season, and was an honorable mention for the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) All-Rookie Team. The Maple, Ont., native wrapped up his first collegiate season with nine points (5g, 4a) in Michigan’s final eight games. (AUDIO: Di Giuseppe conference call with media gathered in Raleigh)
Later in the second round, the Hurricanes used the 47th overall pick on left wing Brock McGinn from the Guelph Storm of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). McGinn, 18, completed his second season of major junior hockey in 2011-12, notching 12 goals and earning seven assists (19 points) in 33 games. He missed more that two months of action after suffering a wrist injury in December. The Fergus, Ont., native is coached by former Carolina forward Scott Walker in Guelph, and was named an alternate captain for the team prior to the start of the season. He is the younger brother of Colorado Avalanche forward Jamie McGinn, and forward Tye McGinn who was drafted by Philadelphia in 2010.
In the third round, Carolina used the 69th overall pick to select goaltender Daniel Altshuller from the OHL’s Oshawa Generals. Altshuller, 17, played his first season of major junior hockey in 2011-12, and posted an 11-16-2 record, a 3.55 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage in 30 regular-season games. The Ottawa, Ont., native went 2-2 with a 3.87 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage in five playoff appearances after winning the No. 1 role from fourth-year goaltender Kevin Bailie.
With their first of three fourth-round picks, the Hurricanes used the 99th overall selection on forward Erik Karlsson from Sweden. Karlsson, 17, spent the majority of 2011-12 with Frolunda Jr. of Sweden’s junior league, and notched 14 goals and 19 assists (33 points) in 47 games. The Lerum, Sweden, native also added three goals and seven assists (10 points) in four games with Frolunda’s under-18 junior team in 2011-12. In April, he earned three points (1g, 2a) in six games as Sweden captured the silver medal at the International Ice Hockey Federation 2012 Under-18 World Championship in the Czech Republic.
Later in the fourth round, Carolina used the 115th overall pick on defenseman Trevor Carrick from Mississauga St. Michael’s of the OHL. Carrick, 17, finished his first OHL season with six goals, 13 assists (19 points) and 64 penalty minutes, while playing in all 68 of the Majors’ regular-season games. The Stouffville, Ont., native is the younger brother of Toronto Maple Leafs 2010 fourth-round pick, Sam Carrick.
Just five picks removed from selecting Carrick, the Hurricanes used pick No. 120 in the draft on defenseman Jaccob Slavin from Chicago of the United States Hockey League (USHL). The Erie, CO, native scored three goals and earned 27 assists (30 points) in 2011-12, while playing in all 60 of the Steel’s regular-season games. The 17-year-old posted a plus-6 plus/minus rating, despite his team allowing 33 more goals than it scored. Slavin is committed to Colorado College of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) for the 2013-14 season.
In the fifth round, Carolina used the 129th overall pick on left wing Brendan Woods from the University of Wisconsin (WCHA). Woods, 20, completed his first collegiate season in 2011-12, scoring five goals, earning five assists (10 points) and totaling 67 penalty minutes in 34 games with the Badgers. The Humboldt, Sask., native spent two seasons in the USHL with Chicago and Muskegon before beginning his collegiate career.
The Hurricanes used their sixth-round pick to add goaltender Collin Olson to the organization. Olson, 18, spent the 2011-12 season with the United States National Team Development Program’s Under-18 team, and posted a 2.50 goals-against average and an .898 save percentage in 34 games.
It marked the Burnsville, MN, native’s second season with the USNTDP, as he spent 2010-11 with the Under-17 team, and recorded a 2.84 goals-against average and a .903 save percentage in 19 games. He was named the tournament’s best goaltender as Team USA won gold at the IIHF 2012 Under-18 World Championship in April, going 5-0 with a 0.80 goals-against average and a .966 save percentage in five games.
The Hurricanes wrapped up the 2012 NHL Entry Draft by selecting left wing Brendan Collier with the 189th overall pick in the draft’s seventh round. In 25 games with Malden Catholic High School in 2011-12, Collier led the team with 38 assists and 64 points, and ranked second on the team with 26 goals as the Lancers captured their second straight Massachusetts Division 1A title. The Charlestown, MA, native is committed to Boston University.
The Carolina Hurricanes will open their 2012 exhibition schedule on Sept. 26 at Columbus, and play their first exhibition home game on Sept. 28 against the Nashville Predators. For information on 2012-13 Carolina Hurricanes ticket packages, please visit www.CarolinaHurricanes.com, or call 1-866-NHL-CANES. ::
Article Posted: Sunday, June 24th, 2012.
