The Curious Case of Cody Franson

The 2015 free agent crop was one of the weakest in recent memory. Comprised of mostly depth players and second to third pairing defensemen, the fact that Cody Franson remains unsigned is curious.

In both the 2013 and 2014 offseason Franson and his agent negotiated with Leafs management late into the offseason, ending up with a one year deal and pay increase on both occasions. Since being acquired by the Toronto Maple Leafs 2011, Franson had been seeking a deal with more money and a longer term commitment from Toronto. Even after being traded to the Nashville Predators (where he began his career) prior to last years trade deadline, Franson made it publicly known he would love to return to Toronto in the offseason.

The 28 year old defenceman was having a solid season for Toronto with 55 GP, 32 points and averaging 21:23 of ice time (not too mention great corsi numbers), he was a rare bright spot on a terrible Leafs team, and looked poised to finally earn the contract he had desired since arriving in Toronto. At the time, being traded to the Predators (a playoff bound team) appeared to be a great opportunity to increase his chances of landing the big contract either in Nashville, back in Toronto or with another NHL club. However the move to Nashville may in fact be the reason he is still unsigned today.

Franson saw his ice-time reduced to an average of 17:40 per night, and an even worse 14:16 per night when Ryan Ellis was in the lineup. This may not come as a surprise, seeing as Franson went from a defence with names like Roman Polak and Stephane Robidas to a Nashville unit with Shea Weber, Roman Josi and Ryan Ellis. Although he kept up his underlying stats and great corsi numbers, Franson just never seemed to be able to make an impact with the Predators. The approach for the Cody Franson camp would be an interesting one to watch coming off the poor experience.

So now we sit in late August, training camp right around the corner and Cody Franson is still a free agent, which begs the question, why hasn't anyone signed the 28 year old? Did the experience in Nasvhille really sour his image so badly that no team wants to offer him at the very least a match to his 2014-15 contract? Perhaps Franson is trying to block out the whole Nashville part of last season and thinks he is worth the contract he was headed for following a solid season in Toronto. Whatever the reason, Franson should find a home before training camp commences for the 2015 season, it will be interesting to see not only where he lands, but for how long and how much.

What do you think is the reason Cody Franson remains unsigned? Where will he end up and what will his contract look like? Let us know your thoughts !


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