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Cody Franson

Blackhawks Place Hossa On LTIR, Sign Cody Franson

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The Chicago Blackhawks have completed what may be the worst kept secret in the league, by moving Marian Hossa to long-term injured reserve and signing Cody Franson to a one-year deal worth $1MM. Franson was technically in camp on a professional tryout, but those around the team had long guessed that he had a handshake deal in place to sign after the season was underway.

Franson will come in to help a defense that has more questions than ever for the Blackhawks. After trading away Niklas Hjalmarsson this offseason, the team will be relying on several inexperienced players to fill out the pairs behind Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith. Franson, with his 527 games played in the NHL has more league experience than Connor Murphy, Michal Kempny, Jan Rutta and Jordan Oesterle put together, making him a welcome sight for coach Joel Quenneville.

Still, Franson doesn’t come without his faults. During his time with Nashville, Toronto and Buffalo, Franson has garnered a reputation as an excellent puck-mover and powerplay quarterback that has trouble keeping up with speedy forwards and can sometimes find himself floating out of position in his own end. He’s seen the most success when sheltered with offensive zone starts and an easier matchup, something that he may not be welcome to in Chicago. While Keith will certainly take the toughest matchups on a nightly basis, Franson will likely be given his fair share of responsibility at both ends.

With Hossa going on LTIR (joining Michal Rozsival and Jordin Tootoo) and Franson signed, the Blackhawks now have several million dollars in cap room to play with this season. Alex DeBrincat and Gustav Forsling have been recalled for the season opener, eating into that cap space, but the team will still have a chance to bolster their defense corps in-season. It won’t be easy for the usually powerhouse Chicago franchise, but with a forward group that still boasts some of the very best players in the league, they certainly can’t be counted out.

Cody Franson And Alex Chiasson Should Sign Deals Soon

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TSN’s Bob McKenzie tweeted this evening that Cody Franson and Alex Chiasson are “more likely than not” to sign NHL deals this week. Both were unrestricted free agents who were unable to secure contracts this offseason.

Defenseman Cody Franson signed a professional tryout agreement (PTO) with the Chicago Blackhawks after failing to land a deal with another NHL team this summer. Franson last played for the Buffalo Sabres, scoring 3G and 16A in 68 games. His last contract with the Sabres was a two year deal worth $3.325MM a year. Part of the delay may be that the Blackhawks are waiting for the NHL to approve Marian Hossa’s IR status.

Forward Alex Chiasson signed a professional tryout agreement with the Washington Capitals this summer—a team effort to boost forward depth. Chiasson scored 12G and 12A in 81 games for the Calgary Flames. If Chiasson stayed with the Capitals, it would be his fourth team in five full NHL seasons (not including his 7 game rookie season). The Capitals will also have to engage in some creative cap maneuvering because they are currently $39K above the cap.

McKenzie did not specify which teams would sign the above players, but usually players sign with the teams who offered the PTO. Nevertheless—like Kris Versteeg last season—a player could use the PTO opportunity to garner offers from the rest of the league.

Snapshots: Rozsival, Cleary, Wild

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Michal Rozsival did not pass his physical today in Chicago Blackhawks camp, meaning he will not be allowed to participate in on-ice activities. The 39-year old signed a new contract during last season to help the Blackhawks fulfill their expansion draft requirements, but wasn’t expected to take on a full-time role with the team this year.

Despite that, it looked as though he might have to be a big contributor since Chicago had seen Brian Campbell, Trevor van Riemsdyk and Niklas Hjalmarsson all leave through various methods, and not many players brought in to replace them. Cody Franson and Mark Stuart are both in camp on professional tryouts, and Rozsival’s absence certainly helps their case when working towards an NHL contract.

  • Dan Cleary is back with the Detroit Red Wings this year, as Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press reports that he’ll have the title of Director of Player Development. Cleary was an unofficial coach for the Grand Rapids Griffins last year, as he was actually on a player contract but never suited up for the club. The Griffins won the Calder Cup as league champions, and Cleary will continue his role as a mentor for the young players.
  • Michael Russo of The Athletic had a disappointing series of tweets about Minnesota Wild prospects today, as he reported that Mason Shaw is out four to six months after tearing his ACL, Jack Walker will miss six weeks with an injured shoulder, and Dante Salituro will miss two weeks because of a shoulder injury. While none of the three represent blue chip prospects for the club, early injuries are starting to pile up for the depth players of the Iowa Wild.

Snapshots: Eichel, Franson, Girardi

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We’ve heard several reports over the past few weeks regarding an extension for Sabres center Jack Eichel. The 20-year-old recently made it clear that he wanted to remain in Buffalo, and he reemphasized those sentiments earlier today. However, as opposed to last time, Eichel wasn’t so keen to give a timeframe on any contractual resolution.

“It’s kind of in my agent’s hands and Mr. Botterill’s,” Eichel said (via Tom Gulitti of NHL.com). “For me, it’s all about just going out and performing, playing well, being a good teammate and trying to help make a positive impact on the Sabres and get the organization back to the playoffs. I want to be in Buffalo. I want to be there for a long time. I want to be there when we’re winning. I want to bring that to the city.

“But in terms of the deal, it’s going to get done at some point whether it’s now or a couple months or next year. Who knows? I just know if my play takes care of itself, then good things will happen.”

The former second-overall pick has been productive during his two seasons in the league, compiling 48 goals and 65 assists in 142 games.

Let’s take a look at more notes from around the NHL…

  • Defenseman Cody Franson signed a professional tryout contract with the Blackhawks earlier this evening, and Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun Times believes the move could give the squad “a much-needed boost on the back end of their back end.” The 30-year-old compiled three goals and 16 assists in 68 games for the Sabres last season, and the writer believes the veteran will be a welcome addition to a team that is “desperate for help on the blue line.” Ultimately, Franson is expected to compete with Jan Rutta, Ville Pokka and Erik Gustafsson for a spot on the team’s third line.
  • Veteran defenseman Dan Girardi signed a two-year, $6MM deal with the Lightning earlier this offseason, and the 33-year-old told Joe Smith of TampaBay.com that general manager Steve Yzerman was a big reason why he chose to sign with the organization. “I came here because ’Stevie Y’ called me personally and said, ’We want you here,'” Girardi said. “I felt that meant a lot to me as a guy who pretty much played his heart out for 11 years in New York, got bought out. You don’t know what’s happening and you get a guy like Steve Yzerman call you personally. It’s like, ’Okay, that’s where I know I need to be.'” Girardi had played the past 11 seasons with the Rangers, and he finished the 2016 campaign with four goals and 11 assists.
  • Alex Nylander is trying to build off his four-game cameo from last season, and the Sabres prospect appeared to be “bigger and more confident” as he prepared for the upcoming Prospect Challenge. As John Vogl of the Buffalo News writes, a solid performance during the rookie tourney could lead to the former first-rounder earning a spot on the team’s NHL roster. “You’ve got to have a good impression on them,” Nylander said. “You’ve got to be working hard and showing what you can do on the ice. It’s like a new start, so it feels really good coming into this year.”

 

Cody Franson Signs PTO With Chicago Blackhawks

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The Chicago Blackhawks have signed free agent defenseman Cody Franson to a professional tryout according to freelance journalist Dhiren Mahiban (and later confirmed by Chris Hine of the Chicago Tribune). Apparently Franson turned down one-year contracts with other teams in order to head to camp with the Hawks, perhaps to sign a contract after the season begins and Marian Hossa is placed on long-term injured reserve. Either way, Franson will finally have an NHL camp to skate in as he tries to secure himself a position in the league this year.

Cody FransonFranson, 30, is one of the most divisive players in the league. His play is simultaneously lauded for its breakout efficiency and general possession numbers, while criticized for a lack of defensive play (and sometimes even the ability to skate backwards). Some believe that he can still be effective as a low-key powerplay quarterback, getting the puck to the net through traffic, while others think he’s such a liability in his own end that it’s not worth it to deploy him for any meaningful minutes. The Blackhawks will decide that themselves in camp, when he battles with other fringe NHL players for the last few spots.

Michal Rozsival, Michal Kempny and Jan Rutta are all in the running for a full-time position in Chicago’s defense corps, along with several young players including Ville Pokka and Gustav Forsling. Franson may represent more upside than the former group and more stability than the latter, giving him an inside edge at breaking camp with the team. As noted above, the team doesn’t have much cap room to sign him at the moment and would need to do some salary cap gymnastics to fit him in on anything more than a minimum contract. He’s earned over $3MM for the last few seasons, but it’s unlikely that he’ll receive anything close to that even if he does make an NHL roster.

Franson had 19 points in 68 games with the Buffalo Sabres last year, but has 30+ point upside if given the opportunity. He recorded two such seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs, including 32 in just 55 games before being dealt to the Nashville Predators in 2015. At 6’5″ he’s not a physical player, but can use his long reach to adequately break up plays, and uses a strong first pass to exit the zone. Likely his most important attribute is that he’s right-handed, something that is in high demand around the league.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Cody Franson Narrows List Of Potential Teams

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Cody Franson has been waiting all summer to sign with a team, and Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130 now reports that it is down to just the Edmonton Oilers and Chicago Blackhawks with a chance to sign the defenseman. Vancouver, a team close to Franson’s hometown and where Dhaliwal covers the NHL apparently did not show any interest. Franson is expected to sign a one-year deal, though there are cap complexities to him coming in for either club.

The Blackhawks, who currently project over the cap to start the season, will have some financial flexibility once Marian Hossa is placed on long-term injured reserve (if he hasn’t already), and would be able to fit Franson in on a low-paying contract. That said, if the contract is worth anything close to the $3.3MM per season that Franson has been paid on each of his last two contracts, the team would be precariously close to the cap even after Hossa’s placement. Pushing against it all season is a tough way to operate, especially with potential bonuses and other injury risks on their roster already.

Edmonton has a bit more cap room at the moment, but with Connor McDavid a near-lock for his full Schedule B bonuses, and Jesse Puljujarvi a possibility for the same, that cap room could vanish quickly. Signing many more players to push them closer to the cap is a risky game, as they can’t allow much of those bonuses to carry over to next year when McDavid’s $12.5MM salary kicks in. The team already has over $60MM committed to just 13 players for the 2018-19 season.

The PTO Market: Defensemen

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With training camps now less than two weeks away, the tryout market is about to really get active.  With that in mind, here are some names to watch for and a few teams that will likely be looking to add a PTO or two on the back end in the days to come.

Players

Cody Franson – Franson is coming off of a down year with Buffalo and after overpricing himself in free agency two years ago, it’s fair to wonder if that has happened again.  If he has to go the PTO route, it’s likely he’ll look for a team that can give him the most playing time.  Chicago has been reported in the past as a team that would have interest in bringing him to camp.

John-Michael Liles – His time with Boston didn’t go as well as either side hoped for but Liles is still someone who can help with the man advantage.  He may be best suited as a 6/7 that’s in and out of the lineup which is exactly the type of player that a lot of teams sign to PTO deals at this time.

Roman Polak – The former Maple Leaf is recovering well from leg surgery and has started to skate again.  He can still play regular minutes on a third pairing and penalty kill which should have a few teams kicking the tires.

Fedor Tyutin – He didn’t have a great year with Colorado but to be fair, that can be said for a lot of Avalanche players last season.  He’s not that far removed from being a second pairing player but in the right system, he should still be able to play on a bottom pairing and contribute.

Dennis Wideman – While he’s not likely to put up 56 points again like he did two years ago, Wideman could still be a contributor on the power play while being capable of eating more minutes than others on this list.

Teams

Arizona

With Jakob Chychrun out of the lineup indefinitely (he hasn’t resumed skating yet), there’s a hole on the back end for the Coyotes.  Their top internal candidates are Joel Hanley and Andrew Campbell, players who have seen NHL action in the past but haven’t fared all that well when given the opportunity.  Alternatively, they could look to try to sign someone to a two-way contract with the hopes of sending that player to the minors when Chychrun is ready to return.

Chicago

There are likely to be a couple of spots up for grabs at training camp with prospects Gustav Forsling, Ville Pokka, and international free agent signing Jan Rutta the likely candidates vying for those positions at the moment.  As a team that has brought in veterans to try to fill out their defensive corps in recent years, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them bring someone in to compete with the youngsters and give them a bit more depth at the position.

Colorado

This one is pretty obvious.  As things stand, they have all of three regular blueliners under contract and one of those, Mark Barberio, cleared waivers at the beginning of last season (the Avs plucked him off waivers midseason).  If they can reach a deal with Nikita Zadorov, that will certainly help and youngsters like Andrei Mironov and Chris Bigras will push for spots but there is certainly room for a tryout or two…or three.

Los Angeles

The Kings have already added one PTO blueliner in Chris Lee so far but they have some unproven players that are projected to fill out their bottom couple of spots.  If they want a prospect like Paul Ladue to spend more time in the minors, they’d be a team that would want to bring a veteran in to compete for a spot.

Washington

The Capitals have lost three notable blueliners this summer in Karl Alzner, Nate Schmidt, and Kevin Shattenkirk and haven’t replaced them with any experienced players.  As things stand, they have only five rearguards with any sort of notable NHL playing time under their belts with prospects such as Madison Bowey and Christian Djoos, among others likely to push for a roster spot.  It would make sense for Washington to hedge against their prospects not being quite ready by bringing in a veteran or two.  However, there would need to be some sort of agreement in place that they’d play for close to the league minimum of $650K considering their current cap situation.

Latest On Cody Franson

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Following up on a report from last week that there had been increased interest in free agent defenseman Cody Franson, Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130 reports that the former Buffalo Sabres player could “possibly sign this week.” While that doesn’t sound like much, it does put the spotlight back on an interesting offseason case.

Franson went through a long period of free agency in 2015 before finally signing with the Sabres, and again this summer hasn’t seemed to be able to drum up much interest. The 30-year old defenseman has vocal supporters and detractors among hockey fans, but does have a history of putting up points at the NHL level. In 527 career games, Franson has registered 205 points, a better per-game rate (0.39) than players like Morgan Rielly, Hampus Lindholm and Matt Niskanen. Though he’s obviously not as mobile as those three, his overall possession contribution is still quite high.

The question is how effective Franson can be in his own end or without receiving much powerplay time. With most rosters all but set for their special teams contributors, Franson faces a similar situation as Thomas Vanek: able but not needed. It will be interesting to see what kind of guaranteed money a team gives him, or if he has to settle for a professional tryout. Drew Stafford recently settled for just $800K, but will be expected to play a fairly substantial role on the New Jersey Devils. A training camp injury could help Franson’s case, but waiting that long puts him in jeopardy of not finding any work in the NHL this season.

Interest Increases For Cody Franson

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Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130 in Vancouver spoke to Cody Franson’s agent (presumably still Gerry Johannson of the Sports Corporation) and reports that interest has increased in the free agent defender recently, and he could sign in the next few weeks. The Canucks aren’t in the running, and it’s still to be seen whether Franson will get a guaranteed contract or have to settle for a professional tryout.

It’s been quite for the 30-year old Franson over the past few months in a repeat of the 2015 offseason. That year he had to wait until September 10th to sign a two-year deal with the Sabres, and it seems as though a similar outcome is on the horizon. With teams starting to announce the schedule for their training camps, whoever does sign Franson will want him under contract and ready to go over the next two weeks. The puck-mover remains one of the most divisive players in hockey, with some seeing him as a solid offensive threat from the back end that can help drive possession, and others believing his defensive deficiencies far outweigh any potential scoring ability.

We ranked Franson 22nd on our list of the Top 50 Free Agents, projecting a two-year $5MM deal for him. While it’s still not out of the question for him to sign a deal worth that much—his September contract in 2015 was for $6.65MM—the former Buffalo Sabres defenseman may have to settle for a one-year contract this time around. Even as we see much older players like Francois Beauchemin sign, Franson remains one of the top names on the open market. It’s not clear who would be interested, but there are several teams who could afford to add another depth option, especially one that is right-handed.

Free Agent Profile: Dennis Wideman

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Recently, PHR has been shining some light on remaining free agents in a very quiet market, with players like P.A. Parenteau, Daniel Winnik, Brian Gionta, Jarome Iginla, and Drew Stafford getting some extra attention. The one thing that those players have in common is that there is not a defenseman among them. The last defenseman profiled was Johnny Oduya, who signed with the Ottawa Senators the next day and remains the last major UFA to have signed an NHL deal. Meanwhile, veteran Andrei Markov left for Russia, while big blue liner Cody Franson remains in limbo (and should consider investing in some real estate there).

Why have no other defenseman garnered attention, both from NHL teams nor the PHR team? There are simply few quality defenders left on the market. Outside of Franson, one lone defenseman remains unsigned from PHR’s list of the Top 50 2017 Free Agents: Dennis Wideman. Wideman was the last man to make the list, ranking 50th overall and 14th among defenseman. At 34 years old and coming off back-to-back seasons that could both be considered the worst of his career, Wideman wasn’t exactly a hot commodity. However, it was still projected that Wideman would find work based on a long track record of being able to play major minutes and put up points, even if just on a short-term inexpensive deal.

Luckily for Wideman, that is still a distinct possibility even in mid-August. The free agent market, for not only defenseman but for all players, is all but dead, yet opportunities remain. Signings have been few and far in between, but Wideman faces only Franson for any open blue line spots and brings a very different skill set. Wideman is an 11-year veteran with 387 points in 815 NHL games and was once considered one of the top puck-movers in the game. Wideman even drew Norris Trophy votes in 2008-09 with the Boston Bruins and turned his impressive resume into a five-year, $26.25MM contract with the Calgary Flames in 2012. Wideman is far from that player today, but still carries the pedigree of a possession defenseman capable of playing big minutes when needed and helping out on the power play.

Even if Franson signs a new contract first, Wideman’s chances of landing a deal of his own are still fair. In each of the past two years, two legitimate NHL defenseman have signed contracts late in free agency. Last year, it was Dennis Seidenberg going to the New York Islanders and Kyle Quincey signing with the New Jersey Devils. Seidenberg looked rejuvenated in Brooklyn and earned himself an extension, while Quincey proved to be a valuable veteran and trade chip for the Devils and has already signed with the Minnesota Wild this summer. In 2015, it was Franson himself, ending up with the Buffalo Sabres on a two-year deal, and David Schlemko, yet another one-year value deal for the Devils.

Potential Suitors

If the pattern isn’t clear yet, a one-year “show me” deal for Wideman with the New Jersey Devils remains a very real possibility. For the third season in a row, the Devils could greatly benefit from adding a talented veteran on the cheap. Although the team has a pair of consummate pros in captain Andy Greene and veteran Ben Lovejoy, as well as some exciting young players like Damon Severson, Mirco Mueller, and John Moore, the team is lacking in depth. Bringing in Wideman, who has become accustomed to a part-time role in Calgary over the past few years, to be a spot starter, capable injury replacement, and mentor to the young offensive blue liners would be a savvy signing by GM Ray Shero. 

Another team that is going to be rumored to be in on a top-four defenseman until they actually go out and get one is the Colorado Avalanche. With just three defenseman currently signed to one-way deals and a depth chart lacking in legitimate NHLers, the rebuilding Avs are desperate for help on the blue line. It would not come as surprise if Colorado ended up signing both Wideman and Franson if their “D” corps looks as bad in camp as it does on paper.

Other interested parties that may be looking for affordable veteran depth – and specifically keyed in on a right-handed shot – include the Columbus Blue Jackets, Montreal Canadiens, Los Angeles Kings, or a return to the Washington Capitals.

Expected Contract

The original speculation for Wideman was that he would sign a one-year deal worth $1.5MM. At this point in the off-season and given Wideman’s age and the substantial wear on his tires, a one-year pact is all but certain. The $1.5MM? That isn’t out of the question. Wideman’s past two seasons with the Flames were none toof inspiring and Calgary fans were happy to see him go. However, that doesn’t mean that Wideman can’t return to form with a change of scenery and is just two years removed from a career-high 56 points. He may still be able to command a seven figure salary. The longer he goes unsigned though, the more and more likely he ends up under $1MM. Wideman seems unlikely to take the absolute minimum, $650K, and will hold out hope that he can get somewhere in the neighborhood of the $1.25MM deals that Quincey signed last year and this year. In the end, he may have to settle for only a bit more if he wants to extend his NHL playing career. One way or another, Wideman will be making much less and will have a very different role with his next contract versus his last.

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