Putting the for-sale sign on the Canes' pending UFAs - yes, including that one - is the right thing to do.
The Carolina Hurricanes flipped their calendar to February upon arriving at the office this morning. The next time they do, 29 days hence, the direction of the franchise may have been established for years to come.
Yes, that sounds like a bit of hyperbole. But with 29 days remaining before the NHL's Leap Day trade deadline, Ron Francis finds himself in a bit of an unexpected, albeit welcomed, conundrum.
Few had the Hurricanes contending seriously for a playoff spot this deep into the season.