Eric Staal gets to play with another brother, and the New York Rangers are loading up for the playoffs.
The Rangers acquired the Carolina Hurricanes’ captain and face of the franchise on Sunday.
In exchange for Staal, the Rangers sent center Aleksi Saarela, who is currently playing in his native Finland, to Carolina along with New York’s second-round selections in each of the next two drafts.
Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton said the Hurricanes retained a portion of Staal’s $8.25 million cap hit, leaving the Rangers enough financial flexibility to add another ‘‘small-salary player if we wanted to.’’
The Rangers trail first-place Washington by 16 points in the Metropolitan Division standings.
‘‘We felt like he was one of the best, if not the best, player available on the market to give us what we’re looking for in our top nine,’’ Gorton said. ‘‘And that’s why we made the move.’’
The deal — finalized a day before the NHL trade deadline — wasn’t a total surprise from Carolina’s perspective.
Staal, 31, had spent his entire 12-year career with the Hurricanes, who drafted him second overall in 2003. He is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, once the final year of his seven-year, $55.75 million contract expires.
Staal — a four-time All-Star with 10 goals and 23 assists in 63 games this season — leaves one younger brother, Jordan, and will be united with another brother, Marc, who plays defense for the Rangers.
Jordan Staal said his big brother ‘‘had a lot of emotions for the both of us . . . He’s been here a long time.’’
The Hurricanes made another move, sending veteran forward Kris Versteeg to the Kings for prospect Valentin Zykov and a conditional fifth-round draft pick. Versteeg, 29, had 11 goals and 22 assists for the Hurricanes, who acquired him in September from Chicago.
Versteeg, whose contract expires after this season, has been traded six times since June 2010.
He played only 5:47 during Carolina’s 5-2 loss to St. Louis on Sunday and didn’t play at all in the third period.
Flyers play for keeps, extend Raffl
The Flyers signed forward Michael Raffl to a three-year, $7.05 million contract extension. The team announced the signing Sunday, and a person with direct knowledge of the deal revealed the contract figures to the AP. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the Flyers did not provide those numbers. Had the deal not been reached, Raffl was a candidate to be dealt before the trade deadline. He was in the final year of his contract and eligible to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. The third-year player has eight goals and nine assists in 61 games this season . . . The Capitals acquired forward Daniel Winnik and a 2016 fifth-round pick from the Maple Leafs in exchange for forward Brooks Laich, defenseman Connor Carrick, and a 2016 second-round pick. Winnik, 30, has four goals and 10 assists in 56 games this season. Laich, 32, has a goal and six assists in 60 games and is in the midst of a 48-game goal drought . . . Among players to be placed on waivers were Blue Jackets forward Rene Bourque and Canucks forward Adam Cracknell. Bourque is an 11-year veteran who has three goals and 6 points in 42 games this season. Goalie Alex Stalock was placed on waivers by the Maple Leafs a day after being acquired in a trade with the Sharks. Marshfield native and former BU defenseman David Warsofsky was put on waivers by the Penguins.
. . . The Capitals activated center Jay Beagle from long-term injured reserve and placed defenseman John Carlson on long-term IR. Beagle had hand surgery in December; he has six goals and six assists in 36 games this season. Carlson has a lower-body injury that is expected to keep him out 3-4 weeks.
