Murray: Franson Will Play Top 4-5 Role (sabres)

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Murray: Franson Will Play Top 4-5 Role

By GARTH'S CORNER

Sep 10, 2015 • 3:50 pm

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Tim Murray invested 75 days in his negotiations wit Cody Franson's agent. At the end of the day, Murray landed a top four defenseman for below market value salary and term.

Thanks, Sabres.xom

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Ryan O'Reilly's court date has now been pushed to October 1.

I'm not sure why.

Is the postponement at his request of the court's?

This is the second time that the court date has been moved.

Wouldn't it be best for ROR to go before the judge now, before training camp begins?

O'Reilly is on the ice skating with his Sabres teammates today. As is newly minted Sabres D-man Cody Franson, who is schedule to speak with media shortly.

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Buffalo Sabres center Ryan O’Reilly will be in municipal court in London, Ontario today to answer the impaired driving and leaving the scene of an accident charges that were levied against him in August.

O’Reilly, who signed a seven year contract extension worth $52.5-million on July 2, was apologetic about his actions when he spoke with reporters after an informal captain's skate in downtown Buffalo. ROR is remorseful for his actions.

“It’s an unfortunate situation with the way that the Sabres have invested in me, to be involved in a situation like that, I just never want to do that, so I definitely apologize to all the fans and just the kids that see the situation.… O'Reilly credited the Sabres with standing beside him during his difficult times.

“I feel horrible about it and it can be a little difficult at times, but everyone here has been nice about it and supported me, so to have that it makes it much easier.…

A positive sign of this whole matter is that O'Reilly is concerned about how he is going to be viewed by Sabres fans. In his six year NHL career, he has felt strongly about conducting himself in a professional manner. He wants to be a role model that kids can look up to. He is ready to show his fans that he is serious about righting the wrong. “The outcome isn’t set yet, but just to be in a situation like that and to have it come out and the way it’s been spun, it is unfortunate and I know families and parents and kids, yes it’s not a good message to send to them and again I do apologize and I’ll do what I can to make that up to them.…

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TSN's Bob McKenzie reported Thursday night that Franson is in Buffalo and will be autographing a new two year contract on Thursday. The AAV on his contract is $3.3 million. He is now a member of the Buffalo Sabres.

Franson chatter has been raging in Buffalo for the past month.

I reached out to Franson's agent earlier this week to get a confirmation on the Franson to Buffalo rumors. I'm still waiting for a confirmation. 

What took so long for Franson to find a new gig?

High supply and low demand.

Or, too many available players and not enough money to go around.

Too many teams have their dollars tied up in long term, high dollar contracts with their star players. GMs have top be judicious about spreading the remaining cap money around to the other 17-18 players on their roster. When the money is gone, its gone. The shrinking Canadian dollar, which is now trading at .$.75 U.S. isn't helping matters either.

Franson is not the only NHL veteran to be bypassed for months during this summer free agency period. There seems to be a trend at work here as the NHL salary cap is causing teams serious headaches when it comes to adding free agents to their rosters. Too many players, not enough money to go around. Too many teams are smashed right up against the ceiling of the $71 million salary cap.

So, veterans like Franson have been given two options:

1. Swallow your pride and accept less dollars and less term. In other words, take what you can get.

2. Sign a PTO contract and try to steal a job from a player at an NHL camp.

At times like these, its best to take the money and skate. That is exactly what Franson has done. He has opted to take less dollars and less term just to have positive cash flow for the next two seasons. That's a better play than singing for your supper on a PTO contract.

Franson won't be getting the big, fat juicy 5 year, $25-$27 million contract that he and his agent had dreamt about last Spring. . Not this summer anyway. It's clear that his agent misread the NHL UFA marketplace for defensemen. Colorado signed 35 year old Francois Beauchemin to a 3 year, $13.5 million contract. Franson was using the Beauchemin deal as a comparable to his next contract. The market pushed back against Franson's contract demands. In the end, he with the gold wins. Three weeks ago, former Sabres D Christian Ehrhoff signed with the LA Kings for a paltry $1.5 million on a one year contract. Ehrhoff earned $4 million in Pittsburgh last season. Ehrhoff didn't do Franson any favors by diving for dollars in LA.

With so many teams slammed tight against the cap ceiling, there are no more dollars left in the marketplace.

The Sabres became a logical destination for Franson because of their $12 million in cap space, and their need to add a veteran D. Tim Murray played the Franson deal perfectly in that he waited out the market and didn't get snookered into paying an inflated AAV on a long term deal. Now, Murray can test drive Franson. If Murray likes the guy, he can buy him on a long term deal later on down the line. Franson will be 30 when his Buffalo deal expires. Murray was wise to by low because there is no guarantee that Franson will be able to skate at top end speed against the younger, faster players entering the NHL these days.

Franson was a big disappointment for the Predators during the first round of the playoffs against the Blackhawks. He was a healthy scratch on the Preds blue line that features Shea Weber, Roman Josi and Seth Jones. Franson just couldn't be trusted by his D coach Phil Housley and his former head coach Peter Laviolette. He never seemed to gel with his Nashville D partners, nor did he play with a lot of confidence as he previously had in Toronto. Part of the reason why he struggled so badly in is that Franson is a natural righty and he was forced to play the left side in Nashville.

The Buffalo D corps is in good shape right now. Their blue line consists of Zach Bogosian, Rasmus Ristolainen, Josh Gorges, Mike Weber, Mark Pysyk, Carlo Colaiocovo, and Matt Donovan. Rookie Jake McCabe will do his dead level best in training camp to turn heads and earn a sixth or seventh D roster spot.

Franson won't blow opponents away with his foot speed nor will he knock guys around wiyth heavy body checks. However, Franson will add immediate value to the Buffalo blue line. He plays 18-20 minutes per game. He thrives 5 on 5, PP, and PK. 

Look at this Sheldon Souray-inspired point bomb on the PP:

Thanks, Leafs TV

Unlike Ehrhoff, Franson's point shot is low, hard and is always on the net. Ryan O'Reilly, Evander Kane, Jack Eichel, Tyler Ennis, Matt Moulson, Marcus Foligno, Zemgus Girgensons, and the rest of the Sabres forwards are going to love picking up Franson's loose change and throwing it into opposing nets.

At what cost though?

Tim Murray was looking for a left handed D, however, Franson has been known to play both left and right D. He struggled to play the left side last season after he was traded from Toronto to Nashville. Were Murray to sign him to the Sabres, he'd likely leave Franson on the right side and move Mark Pysyk to the left side. Pysyk plays both sides very well. Rasmus Ristolainen can also play both right and left D.

Tim Murray may be working on a trade of a veteran D to make room for Franson. Is Mike Weber a candidate to be traded away to make room for Jake McCabe to play? Stay tuned for more on that. 

Franson is 6'5" and nearly 220 lbs. He is not a bomber and a head knocker like Zach Bogosian but he plays a salty, physical brand of hockey. He excels on the PP because of his boom, accurate point shot.

Franson scored 7 goals and added 29 assists in 78 games and setting a career high with 36 points. He was the Predators' third-round pick in 2005 out of Vancouver in the WHL. He was a former teammate of Evander Kane with the Vancouver Giants. 

Calgary, Boston, Phoenix, Pittsburgh and Edmonton were also rumored to be interested in signing Franson. Their loss is Buffalo's gain.

I said earlier in August that I would be inclined to offer Franson two years and $5-6 million. Take it or leave it. Franson will get $6.6 million guaranteed from the Sabres.

Franson played junior hockey with the Evander Kane at the Vancouver Giants.

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