Eric Staal signs one final NHL contract to retire

In 12 years with the Carolina Hurricanes, Eric Staal was the franchise star, tallying an impressive 322 goals and 775 points over 909 games played with the team, being integral to their 2005 Stanley Cup victory. While he hasn't played for the team in over a decade, Staal is now set to announce his retirement by signing a one-day deal with the team he began his NHL career with back in the 2003 NHL Draft.

With that, the team will also retire his jersey at some point this season, a well deserved honour for someone that led this team as a superstar for so long. Since departing Carolina, Staal has played in Minnesota, New York, Montreal and most recently Florida, and in a long line of stars from this past generation, he will be remembered as a key piece of the NHL for quite some time.

This move means that Staal ends his NHL career with 1,365 games played, 455 goals and 1,063 points, and while he may not have done enough to push his way into the Hockey Hall of Fame, he did what only a small number have, and that is top 1,000 points while also winning a Cup. This latest move caps off that stellar career, and given his experience and his hockey mind, there's no doubting that there's a future in hockey beyond Staal's playing days, so we now wait to see what is next.