Eric Staal either upped his trade value or made things more difficult for Ron Francis.
In Tuesday's 3-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers, the Carolina Hurricanes captain tapped a puck out of midair and past Michal Neuvirth for his first goal since Jan. 12, ending a 16-game drought.
The goal comes less than a week before the NHL's trade deadline, at which time Staal's immediate future will be decided.
On one hand, the win over the Flyers keeps the Hurricanes alive in the Eastern Conference playoff race, bringing them to within two points of the Pittsburgh Penguins, albeit with three more games played.
Staal, however, is set to become an unrestricted free agent at season's end, meaning he's a candidate to be traded if the sides don't appear to be headed for a contract extension.
For potential buyers, the goal could be a necessary sign of life from the 31-year-old, who now has 10 in 61 games this season.
But for general manager Francis, the decision now is whether to sell Staal to the highest bidder or retain his services for a playoff push, even if it means potentially losing him for nothing in free agency.
The Hurricanes have three games remaining before the deadline, at which point a new era could be dawning in Carolina.
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