The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed restricted free agent defenseman Cody Franson to a one year deal for a reported $2 Million.
The 26-year-old blueliner was looking for one-year deal in the neighborhood of $3 Million and the ability to go to salary arbitration in the summer of 2014, while the Leafs were looking to lock up Franson to a multi-year deal for a lesser amount.
The agreement is again a compromise between the two sides and with the amount being $2 Million, the Leafs may be able to squeeze just under the $64.3 Million salary cap simply with roster cuts, but to create a buffer zone of space, a trade of Korbinian Holzer or John-Michael Liles could be in the works.
Holzer has played only two preseason games and appears to be behind Paul Ranger and TJ Brennan in line for making the Leafs as a depth defenseman. With Morgan Rielly, Stuart Percy, Andrew MacWilliam, Jesse Blacker, Petter Granberg, Matt Finn and Tom Nilsson all in the Toronto pipeline, the 25-year-old German could be expendable and have interest from a defensively thin team like Edmonton, with former coach Dallas Eakins at the helm.
Liles is a much more difficult trade to make, since he has three years remaining at nearly $4 Million per season, but with the ability to keep some of that salary or take back a player that makes a lesser amount, it is not an impossibility.
The chances of 19-year-old Morgan Rielly making the squad have significantly decreased with the addition of Franson and for development purposes, it is likely that he will be sent back to the WHL for another season.
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Here is my interview this morning with former Leafs Asst. GM Bill Watters, discussing the signing of Cody Franson, the roster decisions on Morgan Rielly and Paul Ranger, the goaltending battle between Jonathan Bernier and James Reimer and his prediction for this season:
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