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I could sum up the month of July in one word for the Boston Bruins. Ready? Franson, Franson, Franson. (Is Franson a word? It’s a name. So maybe that’s wrong. I don’t know. It’s been 90 degrees when you wake up. This is a truly terrible time for everybody involved, so you’re gonna have to let this one slide.)
With the need for the Black and Gold to up their already crowded blue line with another veteran presence -- one capable of logging top-four minutes and providing a lift to the power play -- the 6-foot-5 Cody Franson has been a fixture in summertime hockey talk. But now, a new name enters, as Ren Lavoie of TVA Sports (Montreal) has reported that the B’s have talked with Marek Zidlicky.
This isn’t the first time that Zidlicky, who will turn 39 years old next season, has been on the B’s radar.
The right-shooting defensemen registered four goals and 23 points in 63 games for the New Jersey Devils last season, and was on Boston’s short list of defenders they were interested in acquiring at the deadline before he was ultimately dealt him to Detroit. In Detroit, the Czech blue-liner tallied three goals and 11 points in 21 games and served as a vital power play presence for the Red Wings (eight of his 11 points, including three of his goals with Detroit, in the Motor City came by way of the man advantage).
And after back-to-back, one-year deals worth $3 million with the Devils, the veteran d-man is one of dozens of capable NHL defensemen still in search of work in the world’s top level of competition.
Crazier things have happened, of course, but it seems extremely unlikely that a team is going to come knocking on his door with a $3 million per year offer. Especially with the younger, more skilled Franson (and even Christian Ehrhoff) still on the open market. With just under $5 million of cap space in their favor, a contract under $3 million would undoubtedly put Zidlicky in Boston’s wheelhouse, too.
But at the very best, the 38-year-old Zidlicky is a second-pairing stopgap. He was a noted possession driver on a mediocre New Jersey squad, of course, but this would not be a pickup that morphs the Black and Gold into legitimate favorites in an offensively loaded Eastern Conference. Perhaps Zidlicky could be the fit on a second pairing with Dennis Seidenberg, but that would likely be the ceiling there.
At the same time, the Bruins may very well be better off giving those minutes to a guy like Colin Miller (though this will be his first year in the Boston system) or Joe Morrow, two bluechip defenders that have shown offensive promise in the American Hockey League.
It makes sense to sentence one of those talents to more seasoning in the minors if it means you’re acquiring a guy that you think could slide anywhere in your top four defensive corp, and I truthfully have my doubts as to whether or not Zidlicky is that guy. Actually, I don’t think he is.
At the trade deadline this past season, I thought Zidlicky was a fit. That was because the market was pretty thin, Franson had already moved to Nashville, and a guy like Ehrhoff wasn’t leaving Pittsburgh. But with both of those guys still out there, bringing Zidlicky in over them makes little to no sense.
In essence, if Franson is still out there, he should be the Bruins’ priority if they choose to sign a veteran defenseman to bolster the overall depth of the position. That still holds true, with or without Zidlicky.
Zidlicky has skated in 783 NHL contests, tallying 85 goals and 401 points between the Nashville Predators, Minnesota Wild, New Jersey, and the Red Wings most recently.
Ty Anderson has been covering the Boston Bruins for HockeyBuzz.com since 2010, is a member of the Pro Hockey Writers Association's Boston Chapter, and can be contacted on Twitter, or emailed at Ty.AndersonHB[at]gmail.com