RALEIGH, N.C. — Eric Staal gets to play with another brother, and the New York Rangers are loading up for the playoffs.

The Rangers acquired Carolina's captain and the face of the Hurricanes franchise on Sunday.

In exchange for Staal, the Rangers, who trail first-place Washington by 16 points in the Metropolitan Division standings, sent center Aleksi Saarela, now playing in his native Finland, to Carolina along with New York's second-round picks in each of the next two drafts.

Staal leaves one younger brother, Jordan Staal, and will be united with another brother, Marc, who plays defense for the Rangers. A fourth Staal brother, Jared, is with South Carolina of the ECHL and had been in the Hurricanes' organization.

—?Associated Press