After experiencing moderate success in their inaugural season, the Carolina Hurricanes made a statement by signing free-agent center Ron Francis to a 4-year contract.
The Carolina Hurricanes, coming off an underwhelming first season in North Carolina, needed a boost. On July 13, 1998, they got it. To truly understand the move and its impact, let’s take a look back.
March 4, 1991.
If you were a fan of the Hartford Whalers on that date, there’s no doubt that a part of you died. On that date, Hartford general manager Ed Johnston sent a package—the centerpiece of which was Francis—to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Aside from defenseman Zarley Zalapski—who put up 165 points in 229 games—the deal was a bust for the Whalers.
This trade can easily be viewed as the end of the Whalers in Hartford. During Francis’ 10 years in Connecticut, he put up 821 points (264 goals, 557 assists) in 714 games.
His tenure saw the Whalers put up just 3 winning seasons but 6 playoff appearances (the last of which was the season where Francis was traded). In the 6 seasons following his departure, Hartford never posted a winning season and qualified for postseason play just once.
Francis went on to play 533 games with the Penguins, posting 164 goals to go along with 449 assists. The cerebral center added 100 points in 99 playoff games in Pittsburgh, including back-to-back Stanley Cup titles in the early 90s.
While his offensive production did take a slight dip over his final two seasons in the Steel City, Francis was still a talented and capable performer. When the 35-year-old hit the free-agent market, he opted for a homecoming of sorts.
[Top #Canes20 Moments]
— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) October 10, 2017
#19: Ron Francis Signs as Free Agent (July 13, 1998)https://t.co/luomrEKxSS pic.twitter.com/uV6Rhz0CuX
Now, let’s take a look at the impact that this move had.