The Florida Panthers have signed defenseman Marc Staal to a one-year deal worth $750,000, while also adding his brother, Eric Staal, on a tryout contract.
Marc, 35, spent the past two years in Detroit after playing over a decade with the New York Rangers. A physical defenseman, Marc is far from the player to be, but his 16 points last year was his highest total since 2014-15.
Eric, however, might be the more interesting player. He only signed a PTO, but after looking good with the AHL’s Iowa Wild and earning a spot on Canada’s Olympic team, Eric is hoping to turn this last chance into a proper contract down the line. At 37, he’s more of a big body that can mentor the young kids and win some faceoffs, but it’ll be interesting to see if he sticks.
This is the first time the brothers have played together, with Eric previously lining up alongside Jared Staal in Carolina.