Carolina
Hurricanes

News: The Carolina Hurricanes say they expect captain Eric Staal to be ready to start next season after suffering a scary-looking knee injury during an international tournament. The team said Staal underwent an MRI on his right knee Saturday and it revealed a third-degree sprain of his medial collateral ligament.
Impact: The Hurricanes say Staal won't need surgery and he should need only three months of rehab. Staal's injury Thursday during the world hockey quarterfinals in Stockholm certainly could have been a lot worse. The captain of Canada's team collapsed to the ice in obvious pain following a knee-to-knee collision with Sweden's Alex Edler. The durable Staal, 28, has missed only 14 games during nine NHL seasons. He led the Hurricanes with 35 assists and 53 points in 2012-13.

News: Staal (third-degree MCL sprain) faces a three-month recovery time but will not need surgery, Tampa Tribune writer Erik Erlendsson reports
Impact: It's a significant injury, but the offseason should be enough time for Staal to be ready for the 2013-14 season, which would have been in jeopardy had he suffered a tear. The news is good, in other words.

News: Following a knee-on-knee collision at the world hockey championships, Staal had to be helped off the ice, the Canadian Press reports.
Impact: At first glance, this doesn't look good, as Staal, who clutched his right knee in pain afterward, was not able to put any weight on the leg.

News: Staal (knee) will fly to Raleigh on Friday undergo an MRI on Saturday, the Raleigh News & Observer reports.
Impact: The MRI will in all likelihood reveal the severity of Staal's knee injury, which he suffered during the World Hockey Championships on Thursday. Staal's knee appeared to collide head-on with the knee of Sweden's Alex Edler, causing Staal to leave the ice in great pain.