NHL trade rumors Penguins want Jordan Staal bac

THE RUMOR: The Penguins are interested in re-acquiring Hurricanes center Jordan Staal, Tristan Thompson Jersey who was traded out of Pittsburgh in 2012. REPORTED BY: MORE: | DETAILS: It has long been a criticism of the Penguins:thedepth, or lack thereof, behind stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Those questions again have cropped up during the team's recent struggles, after itspower play entered the weekend 0 for 20 in its last nine games the longest power-play drought of Crosbys career. Staal, 26, was drafted secondoverall by the Penguins in 2006 and wasimportantto the team's depth during Stanley Cup runs in 2008 and 2009.Pittsburgh general manager Jim Rutherford orchestrated the trade for Staalin 2012 when he presided over the Hurricanes. Rutherford alsosigned Staal to his 10-year, $60 million contract. All of the above has contributed to the rumor wire. However, there are conflicting reports regarding the situation after TSN analyst Aaron Ward, a former player for the Hurricanes, that Staal has been rea sured by the team that the trade rumors are untrue. THIS SEASON: A broken legforced Staal to mi s the first 36 games this season. He's a minus-1 with three goals and14 points in the 22 games he's played. SN's TAKE: Even if interest in a trade for Staal is mutual in Pittsburgh and Carolina, cap restrictions would present a large hurdle in negotiations. The Penguins have le s than $1 million in cap space to work with, meaning they'd need to do other maneuvering to fit Staal's $6 million salary under the ceiling. Still, you can see why Pittsburgh would want Staal back. Brandon Sutter is the only player acquired in the trade to make an impact for the Penguins, and his contributions have left something to be desired. It's also worth noting that Staalwelcomed the trade to Carolina to play with his brother, Eric. Both have full no-trade clauses, and Eric, , has said he is unwilling to waive his. Dean Wade Jersey