The Stanley Cup Playoffs have yet to conclude, but offseason speculation has already begun in several NHL markets.

Even though trade talks have yet to pick up considerable steam, rumors have been swirling over the past few weeks regarding the future of Penguins’ forward Jordan Staal, who is on track to become an unrestricted free agent in 2013. While it’s possible that the Thunder Bay, Ontario native will sign an extension with Pittsburgh, he may be on his way out of the Steel City sooner rather than later.

Penguins GM Ray Shero recently indicated that he would like all three of his star centers in tow for the foreseeable future, but Staal may not share in that sentiment. Even though there’s every reason to believe the former second overall pick would continue to develop as a member of the Penguins, it may be difficult for him to reach his full potential with Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby ahead of him on the depth chart. As a player capable of skating on the top line on nearly half of the teams in the NHL, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if the 23-year-old wished to join an organization that would allow him to spread his wings a bit more than Pittsburgh does.

One team that would give Staal that opportunity is Carolina, which is a destination that, theoretically, would make a lot of sense.

To state the obvious, the Hurricanes’ franchise player happens to be Jordan’s older brother Eric, and having the two together could open the door for countless possibilities (not to mention create a fantastic marketing ploy). Jordan also possesses the level of talent necessary to fill out the Canes’ somewhat hollow top-six, giving GM Jim Rutherford the type of forward he strongly desires heading into the ’12-’13 campaign. Tallying 25 goals and 50 points last season in just 63 games, Jordan would immediately become one of the Canes’ most valuable assets, provided he can remain healthy.

This addition would not only give the Canes the offensive force they need, but also one of the best two-way forwards in the league. While Rutherford appears to be focused on improving his team’s goal-scoring first and foremost, defense was his team’s true weakness last season, as it has been for quite some time. But even if Carolina chooses not to make major changes to its blueline, adding Jordan Staal to the mix would undoubtedly cut down the Canes’ goals against numbers.

And even though Eric is currently the best center on Carolina’s roster, Rutherford has stated that he wouldn’t be opposed to sliding the captain to the wing, where he’s played comfortably before. Putting E. Staal, J. Staal and Tuomo Ruutu together would have a lot of potential and would give Carolina their first legitimate “No. 1 line” in several years. Additionally, removing Eric from the center position would also relieve him from some of his defensive responsibilities, which he’s struggled with considerably.