Jordan Staal has turned down a 10-year contract offer from the Pittsburgh Penguins, according to a report from TSN's Bob McKenzie. The Penguins forward has one more year left on a four-year, $16 million contract signed back in 2009 and is set to become an unrestricted free agent in July 2013.
The reports also notes that Staal now seems unwilling to sign an extension with the Penguins, suggesting he'll test free agency when his time comes. McKenzie notes that Staal likes Pittsburgh and that the news suggests he'd turn down an offer from any team should the Penguins trade him. That could make teams reluctant to acquire Staal via trade, or at the very least could make Pittsburgh's return on a potential trade considerably lower than Staal's actual value.
It's a bad situation for Pittsburgh, and it would certainly make things awkward for all involved parties should Staal pull on a Penguins jersey again at the start of the 2012-13 season.