Cody Franson is first up in our Trade Target series, a closer look players who could be dealt leading up to the March 2nd trade deadline. Written by Peter Harling, who can be found on twitter @pharling.
One of the most sought after players via free agency this summer will be Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Cody Franson. The 27 year old is well on his way to besting his career best numbers from his breakout season last year.
Franson was signed to a one year $3.3 million contract last summer by the Leafs that will become a UFA this summer. With the Leafs in the midst of their second half of the season nose dive to the bottom of the standings, and Franson heading to UFA status, he is poised to be a prominent player come this seasons trade deadline.
Last season Franson established himself as a NHL regular playing in 79 games while producing five goals and 28 assists for a 33 point season, and finishing second overall in hits behind Matt Martin with 282 hits.
This season Franson has improved both his offensive and defensive game. He is only one points off last seasons total with 32 points in only 54 games, increasing his point per game pace from 0.4 to 0.6. Franson has also managed to improve his +/- from a minus-20 to a minus-6. His 31 point total is good enough to have him tied for 16th overall in defense scoring, tied with Dennis Wideman, Justin Faulk, Andrei Markov and Drew Doughty.
No doubt Toronto would like to re-sign Franson as his value as a NHL player is evident, but given the Leafs salary cap situation it may not be an option. Another influential factor is the fact that the Leafs defense is flush with similar quality assets in Jake Gardiner, Morgan Rielly, and Dion Phaneuf; all are offensive minded puck moving defencemen with some defensive warts in their games. Perhaps it is in the Leafs best interest to diversify their roster and get as much as they can for Franson before he signs elsewhere as a UFA and the Leafs are left empty handed.
By moving Franson now, they stand to gain more than just the cap space his departure would provide. There are plenty of teams interested in acquiring a young, 6’5” 212 pound right handed defenceman who dishes out hits and has a formidable shot.
Using a player like TJ Brodie as a comparable who recently resigned with the Calgary Flames to a $4.65 million per year contract, it is safe to assume as a UFA Franson will be able to use $5 million as his starting price on a bidding war for his services. Should an acquiring team have designs towards re-signing Franson, they would need to ensure they had at least $5 million in cap space available to allocate to him.
One such team could be the Anaheim Ducks, who have players such as Sheldon Souray and Eric Brewer on expiring contracts that will free up over $6.5 million in cap space. The Ducks also have a deep prospect pool to draw from to compensate Toronto as well as draft picks.
Another team that is known to be seeking a defenceman is the LA Kings, who have Robyn Regehr, Jarret Stoll and Justin Williams all on expiring contracts freeing up a potential $9.9 million in cap space. Whether or not the Kings have the assets to acquire Franson is not as clear.
Other potential destinations: Detroit, Nashville, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay
Cost to acquire: There is speculation that the Leafs are only asking for a 2nd round pick. They would probably like to get a 1st round pick and a prospect, but will likely get a 2nd round pick and mid-prospect if multiple teams are bidding.
Cody Franson – Salmon Arm, BC, Canada
Charts from Own The Puck and Domenic Galamini (@mimicohero)
