(Photo by Gregg Forwerck/NHLI via Getty Images) More

Eric Staal would seem like a man with few options in the UFA market this summer.

He followed a 33 points in 63 games campaign with the Carolina Hurricanes with a six points in 20 games stint with the New York Rangers, following their big deadline move. Then the playoffs started, and apparently Staal forgot to set his alarm clock.

He’s 31 and doesn’t have a prayer of making near the $8.25 million cap hit he carried in his last contract. His agent says he wants a top six role and wants to play center, a.k.a. he was totally miscast in New York.

Staal did that in Carolina. Could he did it in Carolina again?

Door is not completely closed on Eric Staal returning to Carolina, but he's looking at other options/ challenges right now. — Tom Gulitti (@TomGulittiNHL) June 28, 2016





Staal is looking at other options, talking to other teams, but wouldn't rule out a return to Hurricanes if they did express interest. — Tom Gulitti (@TomGulittiNHL) June 28, 2016





Chip Alexander of the News & Observer mentioned this to GM Ron Francis and he was “indicating it is extremely unlikely Staal might return to Carolina.”

To wit, Francis said:

Francis, on Staal, says it would be "unfair to us and to him to bring him back and ask him to accept a different role than the one he had." — Chip Alexander (@ice_chip) June 29, 2016





Francis noted Eric Staal was "a great player in our market for a long time." Ended comments on Staal by saying, "We wish him the best." — Chip Alexander (@ice_chip) June 29, 2016





Staal played 909 games with the Hurricanes and scored 775 points, helping them to their lone Stanley Cup with 28 points in 25 games back in 2006. They overpaid to keep him, and one saw him slowly crushed by the burden of that contract.

Clearly, the Hurricanes want a clean break. Clearly, Staal is going to have to take a lean, mean contract somewhere else, and in the short term. Both things are likely for the best.

Greg Wyshynski is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter. His book, TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE PUCK, is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.

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