It’s July 21 and Cody Franson is still unemployed. The big, right-handed veteran defenseman has been waiting patiently to learn of his newest team’s whereabouts.
On Tuesday, Franson told TSN 1040 that the Boston Bruins are among five to six NHL who are courting Franson. The Buffalo Sabres, Vacouver Canucks, and Pittsburgh Penguins have also also been linked to Franson.
On Tuesday, Franson spoke extemporaneously about his holding pattern and about the Boston Bruins. the Bruins. He said that he has spoken with fellow Vancouver Giants alumus Milan Lucic about the B’s. Lucic was traded to Los Angeles last month.
Cody Franson to TSN 1040 on the Bruins pic.twitter.com/bx4Vjlj3qY
— Nicholas W. Goss (@NickGossNESN) July 21, 2015Cody Franson says he'd love to play for the Canucks, but....
Hear what Franson told #TSN1040 today: http://t.co/czg62wrfji
— TSN Radio Vancouver (@TSN1040) July 21, 2015
The Bruins are looking for a hero to step in and add immediate value to their patchwork defense corps. The big, bad Bruins are now the old, slow Bruins. They made a huge mistake by allowing Hamilton to skate to Calgary. Rather than re-sign their future #1 franchise D Hamilton to a long term pact, new Bruins GM Don Sweeney traded the former Niagara Ice Dogs star away to Calgary. The Flames promptly signed the then-pending RFA to a six year, $34.5 million deal. The Bruins said Thanks But No Thanks to paying Hamilton $5.75 million over season for six seasons. I would have paid the kid $6 million for 6 years. Not Sweeney.
In an out and out salary dump, the cap-strapped Bruins dumped the salary of their emotional leader Johnny Boychuk last October. If the NHL season started today, Boston’s top-four group would be 39 year old Zdeno Chara, oft-injured Dennis Seidenberg, soon to be RFA Torey Krug and veteran Adam McQuaid.
A couple of Providence Bruins factor in the plans as well. Zach Trotman and Joe Morrow will be battling for jobs when training camp opens in September. Sweeney also signed veteran UFA Matt Irwin to fight it out for a job in Boston’s top seven group.
Franson is a lot like the departed Hamilton in that he is 6’5… and 225 lbs. Like Hamilton, he has a big, accurate shot from the right point. Unlike Hamilton, Franson is as slow as a barge. He struggles when fast, aggressive fore checking teams like Tampa, NY Rangers, NY Islanders and Washington make him turn his face to the glass in his end of the rink.
Franson won’t come cheaply. He is looking for a multi-year deal in the $4.5 to $5 million range per season. The Bruins and Sweeney are likely waiting the negotiaitions out. The longer Franson sits unsigned, the cheaper his stock becomes. Three weeks ago, was one of the best UFA D-man on the market. Today, he is hoping to get a contract signed before training camo starts. Welcome to the new era of unrestricted free agency where there are only three or four teams, like Buffalo, Arizona and Edmonton, who have tens of millions of dollars in available cap space to shop for free agents. Right now, the Bruins have only $4.7 million in available cap space for next season. Franson is looking for Sweeney’s $4.7+ million times four to five seasons. Clearly, Franson is too rich for the blood of the Bruins. He sees his value a lot higher than NHL GMs do. Franson was a big disappointment down the stretch after he was traded from Toronto to Nashville. He was a virtual invisible man for the Preds in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs against the eventual Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks.
“Obviously, I’d like to get something a little more than one year,… he said. “I’m sick of doing one-year deals.…
If the Bruins sign Franson, they will have to trade away a D in order to become cap compliant by opening night. Signing Franson or lefty UFA Christian Ehrhoff would catapult the Bruins over the $71.4 million cap. Teams can remain 10% over the salary cap during the summer, however, GMs have to be cap compliant by the time training camps close in late September. That's how the NY Islanders sniped both Boychuk and Blackhawks D Nick Leddy last October.
Keep an eye on Torey Krug. The 24 year old is entering the final year of his contract and will be restricted next July. He will earn $3.4 million next season. Krug is a 35-45 point per season defenseman. He is just now coming into his own now that he has played 206 NHL games (27 playoff games). Sweeney played hard ball with Hamilton and ended up trading the kid. Will he make the same mistake with Krug, too? Krug will no doubt be using Hamilton's $34.5 million deal as his comparable in his future negotiations with Sweeney. The Bruins may balk and show him the door. They may accept Krug at those terms. It remains to be seen.
Buffalo Sabres GM Tim Murray will be wanting action on Krug were he to become available. Murray has been patiently searching high and low for a left handed D. Krug fills that job description to a tee.