Hurricanes not pursuing reunion with Eric Staal

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.