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Leafs Avoid Arbitration, Sign Franson To One Year Deal |
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As first reported by Toronto Sun columnist Steve Simmons, the Leafs and restricted free agent defenseman Cody Franson have avoided Monday's arbitration hearing and agreed on a one-year contract for $3.3 Million.
The amount of the agreement is slightly greater than halfway between the Leafs offer of $2 Million and Franson's submitted amount of $4.2 Million. In a summer where one-dimensional defensemen like Nikita Nikitin are signed for $4.5 Million per season and an aging Brooks Orpik gets a five-year, $27.5 Million contract from the Washington Capitals, $3.3 Million is a reasonable amount for a 26-year-old blueliner who has led Toronto in defensive scoring for the last two seasons.
It also leaves the door open to a possible trade before the start of training camp in September. Franson was offered as part of the aborted Josh Gorges deal with Montreal in June and may still be on the radar of teams looking for an offensive defenseman and power play specialist. The Leafs may be in the market for a offensive winger to play on their second line that would allow David Clarkson to play more of a two-way role on their third line.
With the signing, Toronto has roughly $7.7 Million in cap room remaining and only restricted free agents Jake Gardiner, Spencer Abbott and James Reimer unsigned. Reimer will have his arbitration hearing on Monday, July 28, but could also reach an accommodation with the Leafs before next week.
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