RALEIGH - As tantalizing as the thought of Jeff O'Neill back in a Carolina Hurricanes uniform may be, as familiar as his face and No. 92 would be in the Canes' lineup, a lot will have to happen over the next month for that to happen.

O'Neill has been taking part in the Hurricanes' informal practices at the RecZone for almost two weeks and will attend training camp without a contract, looking for a job after taking a year off from hockey.

He's looking to resurrect a career that fizzled after the Canes shipped him home to the Toronto Maple Leafs three years ago, in the wake of his brother Donny's death.

There would be something poetic about an O'Neill encore, an unexpected bridge between past and present. The catch is: There's no guarantee he'll find a home here again.

Once, O'Neill furiously patrolled Ron Francis' right wing, firing power-play one-timers from the left circle all the way to the 2002 Stanley Cup finals. He posted seasons of 41, 31 and 30 goals before a shoulder injury cut his production in half. Then, amid personal tragedy, his career ran out of gas in Toronto.

When he was at his best, he was the only player in the NHL to lead his team in goals and hits -- in 2000-01, during his breakthrough 41-goal season. When he was at his worst, he stood around waiting to tee up that booming right-handed shot. His tempestuous relationship with Paul Maurice -- in Carolina and in Toronto -- took a toll as well.

Married now, O'Neill has a new outlook on life -- "I'll be the first to admit I might have been a hothead," he said -- and thinks there's still plenty left in his tank. Seven years is a long time for a pro athlete, but a year away is a long time, too.

"When you break it down, 32 isn't really that old in this game," O'Neill said Wednesday. "I have a fresh attitude, and I know I can contribute and be a good player. I'm literally just looking at having some fun and seeing where this goes."

But there's a numbers game at work here, and it isn't about O'Neill's age or his 20-goal average over 11 NHL seasons. The Hurricanes are loaded with right wings, with Justin Williams, Scott Walker and Patrick Eaves assured of spots in the top nine.

There's no point in keeping O'Neill around to play on the fourth line -- he doesn't kill penalties, and he needs ice time to score goals -- so if the Canes make it through camp without any major injuries, there may not be a spot open for O'Neill no matter how well he plays.

"When you look at our forwards and the guys under contract, our forwards are pretty much set," general manager Jim Rutherford said. "But also, any player that plays real well in camp, we figure out a way to put them in the lineup."

The Canes have brought in a handful veteran free agents on tryouts over the past decade: Jason Woolley, Cale Hulse, Jim Cummins, Jeff Nielsen, Troy Mallette, Brent Fedyk. Dan LaCouture will join O'Neill in camp this fall. The next to win a spot will be the first.

It's rare anywhere. Former Hurricanes forward Brad Isbister did earn a contract with the Vancouver Canucks last season, but David Tanabe was cut by the St. Louis Blues.

Tanabe ended up re-signing with Carolina after the season started, and if O'Neill really is back in 30-goal form, he could get snapped up by another NHL team with a top-line spot to offer.

Just because the Hurricanes invited him to camp, he's under no obligation to sign with them, nor are they under any obligation to sign him -- although it would certainly be fitting if he ended up here.

After all, he was a fixture of the team's early years in North Carolina. He's third in franchise history in points and fourth in goals and games played. There may not be a roster spot for O'Neill, but there's a place for him in Hurricanes history.

That won't change when training camp starts in two weeks. It won't change no matter where O'Neill is when camp ends.

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