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Hurricanes not pursuing reunion with Eric Staal

Gregg Forwerck / National Hockey League / Getty

The Carolina Hurricanes are moving on.

General manager Ron Francis has confirmed the club has not contacted former captain and unrestricted free agent Eric Staal about a possible return on a new deal.

"(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," Francis told Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News and Observer.

"(Eric) was a great player in our market for a long time," Francis added. "We wish him the best."

Traded to the New York Rangers prior to the deadline this past season, Staal is said to be seeking a top-six role at center in free agency.

Staal, of course, served as the face of the franchise over the past decade, serving as captain and helping bring a Stanley Cup to Carolina in 2006.

The 31-year-old is coming off a seven-year contract that carried an average annual valuation of $8.25 million, and will likely carry a significantly lower cap hit on his next deal.

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