Hurricanes GM on team's willingness to trade Eric Staal: 'Not at this point'

Eric Staal could be moved out of the Tar Heel State, but the Carolina Hurricanes aren't currently seeking a trade for their captain.

Mike Maniscalco of WRAL Sports Fan asked Hurricanes general manager Ron Francis if he was looking to trade the forward and received a short, straightforward reply from the Hall of Famer:

"No, not at this point."

With the Hurricanes struggling to a 30-41-11 record in 2014-15 and one year remaining on Staal's contract, the idea of trading the former first-rounder seemed like an option that Francis would be interested in moving forward - especially with the draft coming up.

"It is my job to explore every avenue of making this team better," said Francis.

Staal comes with a cap hit of $8.25 million, so he would be an expensive target for any team looking to bulk up their front line. But the 30-year-old can still produce, having never recorded less than 50 points in a season with the exception of his rookie season.