Two summers ago, the Edmonton Oilers signed Andrej Sekera to help ease the pain of Jeff Petry’s departure at the most recent trade deadline. Sekera has delivered two very strong seasons for the Oilers and has represented Peter Chiarelli’s best free agent move as Oilers GM. Prior to signing Sekera, however, many were pushing for the Oil to sign Cody Franson.
Franson was entering free agency coming off of a disappointing run with the Nashville Predators, but had previously been a highly effective defender with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Somehow, Franson lasted as a free agent until September when he signed a two-year deal with the Buffalo Sabres.
The Sabres and Franson both underwhelmed during his stay in Western New York, and now Franson will hit the free agent market again this July. The big difference this time around? There is almost no hype surrounding him.
Why Is He Out There?:
The Tim Murray era did not go according to plan in Buffalo and the GM was fired earlier this off-season. Franson was a Murray hire and represents a very easy change for the Sabres as his contract is set to expire. He was very inconsistent for the Sabres and was one of many problems on a poor blueline.
Franson showed signs with the Sabres, including a good stretch of play late this past season, but overall he was too inconsistent and Buffalo failed to take a step forward this season. New GM Jason Botterill will want to upgrade the defensive unit and I doubt Franson will be part of the new look group.
What Does He Do Well?:
Cody Franson is an offensive defender who can move the puck and help a team on the powerplay. He’s got very strong offensive instincts and has proven his wroth as a strong passer and puck distributor. He’s got an ability to carry the puck up ice and has shown an ability to join the rush as well.
Franson possesses a lethal point shot and can play on the powerplay as mentioned above. He’s not going to post elite offensive numbers, but he can make the opponent respect the point shot on the man advantage. He posted 3-16-19 in 68 games this season for the Sabres.
At 6’5” and 224 pounds, Franson possesses appealing size but lacks a physical element to his game. He’s got a knack for using his size to be in the right position, however, and that is a positive. When it comes to possession stats, Franson had a strong 2016-17 season but that may be a bit deceiving.
He averaged 18:28 TOI per night this past season.
Where Will He Play/Where Should He Play?:
Adam Larsson is clearly a better defender than Cody Franson, which means at most Franson would play the right side on the second pairing. That said, is Franson better than Matt Benning? He’s certainly more experienced, but Benning had a better and more consistent season in 2016-17.
If Franson signed with the Oilers, I believe he would play on the third pairing with Larsson and Benning ahead of him. At this stage of his career, I believe that is exactly where Franson should be on the depth chart of a team with Stanley Cup hopes.
What Will He Cost?:
Franson’s last deal was a two-year pact that came with an AAV of $3.325 million per season. Judging by his performance during that deal, Franson is likely to see his salary take a cut this coming summer. Would a one year deal at $2.75 million get it done? I think it could, especially if Franson wants to join a contending team.
Closing Argument:
Throughout off-season targets, the main objective has been trying to find upgrades on the blue-line for this team. While Cody Franson isn’t a sexy name or the first one that comes to mind, he is a realistic option and would bring a different look to this hockey club.
If Peter Chiarelli could get Franson on a cheap deal, I’d be willing to get behind that. It isn’t a home run, but I think it would be an upgrade on the current depth of the Oilers. I’d like to see Peter Chiarelli aim higher here, but Cody Franson wouldn’t be a bad fall back option for this club, especially if Kris Russell’s negotiations get out of hand.
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