RALEIGH — In a crowded scrum moments after the Stanley Cup parade in downtown Raleigh, I asked Jordan Staal a simple question.
“Did you think of going out on a high note?”
Staal smiled and replied, “No. I want another one.”
The Carolina Hurricanes captain will get at least two chances to do that.
The 38-year-old center, three months and one day after he won his second championship and earned the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, signed a one-year contract extension for the 2027-28 season Tuesday that could pay him as much as $10 million.
“Jordan is not only our captain, he’s the bedrock of the culture we’ve established in this organization,” Hurricanes GM Eric Tulsky said in a press release announcing the deal. “His leadership and on-ice performance throughout last season and especially in the playoffs was a primary factor in bringing the Stanley Cup back to Raleigh.”
Staal will begin his 21st season Thursday when Carolina opens training camp and the defense of its title, his 15th year in Raleigh and the final season of a four-year, $11.68 million contract signed in June 2023 that proved to be a bargain at just over a $2.9 million cap hit.
The new deal will likely wind up worth at least twice as much. While Staal’s base salary will be $900,000, he received a $4 million signing bonus — giving him a $4.9 million baseline cap hit for the 2027-28 season. Staal can also earn another $5.1 million in performance bonuses, making the contract worth up to $10 million.
The Hurricanes can afford to reward their captain given their cap situation. The NHL will have its first $20 million player that same season thanks to the new contract the Avalanche gave two-time Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Cale Makar as league salaries explode and the salary cap grows exponentially.
The Hurricanes have more than $8 million in cap space for the upcoming 2026-27 season, though they still need to sign or move on from defenseman Alexander Nikishin, and it’s expected the cap ceiling — $104 million for the season that is upon us — will likely climb another $10 million or more the following season.
Staal’s incentive-laden deal gives Carolina flexibility. Should the Hurricanes be up against the salary cap ceiling in 2027-28, Staal’s earned bonuses could carry over to the 2028-29 season, when the cap will surely jump higher yet again.
It’s easy to doubt that Staal will be able to continue to be one of the NHL’s top shutdown centers as he approaches 40, but the veteran eclipsed 20 goals for the first time in a decade last year and then took over the Stanley Cup final against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Staal scored in each of the first five games of the final, including twice in Game 4 when his game-winning goal evened the series at two games apiece and was the first of three straight wins that led Carolina to its six-game win in the franchise’s third trip to the Cup final.
Staal received 17 of 21 first-place votes for the Conn Smythe Trophy, outdistancing fellow veteran Taylor Hall — who was atop the other four ballots — to be named playoff MVP.
Should be remain healthy, Staal — with 318 goals, 429 assists and 747 points in 1,403 career regular-season games — is poised to become the 26th, 27th or 28th player in NHL history to eclipse 1,500 games. Corey Perry currently has 1,464 games, while Pittsburgh captain and Staal’s former teammate Sideny Crosby is 17 games ahead of the Carolina captain with 1,420 games. Staal has also played 181 career playoff games — tied for the 44th most in league history.
And more significantly, Staal is now guaranteed at least two more chances to reach the sport’s pinnacle — and a big payday after more than earning his previous contract.
