MONTREAL -- Eric Staal is heading north.
The Montreal Canadiens have acquired the veteran centre from the Buffalo Sabres for the club's third- and fifth-round picks in the 2021 NHL draft.
As part of the deal announced Friday, the Sabres will retain half of Staal's US$3.25-million salary. Staal will have to serve a quarantine before joining his new team due to border restrictions related to non-essential travel.
The 36-year-old played 32 games with last-place Buffalo in 2021, registering three goals and 10 points.
Staal, who made his NHL debut in 2003, has 439 goals and 1,031 points in 1,272 regular-season games with the Carolina Hurricanes, Minnesota Wild, New York Rangers and Sabres.
A Stanley Cup champion with Carolina in 2006, the Thunder Bay, Ont., product has added 21 goals and 51 points in 62 playoff contests.
On the international scene, Staal has made a name for himself by helping Canada win gold at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver. He also won gold at the World Hockey Championships in 2007 and silver in 2008.
Staal was a first-round pick, second overall, by the Hurricanes in the 2003 NHL Draft.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 26, 2021.
