The Carolina Hurricanes are keeping their captain in the fold a little longer.
General Manager Eric Tulsky announced Thursday that Jordan Staal has signed a one-year contract extension for the 2027-28 season. The deal includes a $900,000 base salary, a $4 million signing bonus and up to $5.1 million in performance bonuses.
“Jordan is not only our captain, he’s the bedrock of the culture we’ve established in this organization,” said Tulsky. “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, 38, gave Carolina another strong season in 2025-26 before turning it up in the postseason. He posted 20 goals and 16 assists for 36 points in 75 regular-season games, then added 12 points on eight goals and four assists in 19 playoff games as the Hurricanes won the 2026 Stanley Cup. He also captured the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.
His playoff numbers stood out across the roster, too. Staal finished tied for second on the team in playoff goals, was second in power-play goals with three, and tied for fifth in points.
The Thunder Bay, Ontario native has built a long résumé in Carolina. He now has 499 points, including 198 goals and 301 assists, in 972 career games with the Hurricanes, placing him second in franchise history in games played, fourth in assists and fifth in points.
Across his NHL career with Carolina and Pittsburgh, the 6-foot-4, 220-pound forward has produced 747 points, with 318 goals and 429 assists, in 1,403 games.
Staal has also been a familiar name in the postseason. He has 85 points, including 46 goals and 39 assists, in 181 career Stanley Cup Playoff games with the Hurricanes and Penguins. In Carolina playoff history, he is tied with Sebastian Aho for the franchise lead in games played with 108, and ranks fourth in both points with 49 and goals with 23.
A second-overall pick by Pittsburgh in the 2006 NHL Draft, Staal joined the Hurricanes in a June 22, 2012 trade that sent Brandon Sutter, Brian Dumoulin and a first-round pick in the 2012 NHL Draft, Derrick Pouliot, to the Penguins.
Staal was a finalist for the Masterton Trophy in 2017-18 and has served as Carolina’s captain since Sept. 29, 2019, after previously sharing co-captain duties with Justin Faulk during the 2017-18 season. He also won the Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh in 2008-09, contributing nine points, four goals and five assists, in 24 games during that run.
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Jordan Staal's Next Hurricanes Deal Says A Lot About Carolina's Timing
Jordan Staal isnt going anywhere soon, and the Hurricanes made sure of it before the calendar turned to the next phase of contract rules. The veteran center has signed a one-year extension for the 2026-27 season, giving Carolina continued stability in the middle of its lineup and another season of a player whose role has long gone beyond points and power-play minutes.
The timing matters as much as the term. Carolina got the deal done before the new collective bargaining agreement deadline altered how signing bonuses can be structured, and the extension reflects the clubs knack for staying ahead of the curve on roster planning. For a team that leans on continuity and experience, keeping Staal in place says plenty about where the Hurricanes see themselves headed. [Read more 🡒]
Hurricanes Just Made A Captain Decision That Says Everything
Jordan Staals latest deal keeps one of the Hurricanes most familiar faces right where he has been for most of the last two decades, anchoring the middle of the lineup and the room alike. Carolina rewarded its captain with a new extension after a career season in which he added a Stanley Cup and the Conn Smythe Trophy to a long list of reasons the team has trusted him for 16 seasons.
The move says plenty about where the Hurricanes see themselves headed, with Staal still valued for the steady, physical game that has made him such a constant in Raleigh. It also leaves a bigger question hanging over the near future, because this contract could end up marking the final chapter of his NHL career as he approaches 39. [Read more 🡒]
Hurricanes Suddenly Face A Blue-Line Problem At The Worst Time
The Hurricanes arrived at camp with one of their most intriguing blue-line questions still hanging in the air, as restricted free agent Alexander Nikishin will not take part while his contract situation remains unsettled. Carolina has spent the offseason trying to navigate what comes next for a defenseman who was supposed to be part of its future, and the uncertainty has only added another layer of pressure to a roster built to contend now.
Nikishins absence leaves the Hurricanes in an awkward spot because the situation has been building for a while, with the team exploring trade options even as it prepared for the possibility of losing him. Carolina has already moved to shore up its depth on defense with Mike Reilly and Pierre-Olivier Joseph, which tells you how seriously the club is treating the possibility that this might not get resolved in time for a clean opening to camp. [Read more 🡒]