On 1 July 2016, Stålberg left the Rangers as a free agent, agreeing to a one-year deal with the Carolina Hurricanes. In the 2016–17 season, after recording 12 points in 57 contests with the Hurricanes, who were out of playoff contention, Stålberg was traded to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for a 2017 third-round draft choice on 28 February 2017.