Cody Franson

[Phion Keneuf]

How this guy keeps on getting trashed on HF and being called a bottom pairing D is beyond me.

Franson is EASILY a top 4 Dman. Heck, even if he was soft as butter and crap defensively he still could be a top 4 Dman on some teams. He has top notch offensive talent, one of the best point shots in the league as well. But the thing is, he isn't soft and throws hits (124 in 45 games), and he definitely isn't bad defensively. He's shown he can match against top offensive lines as the season progressed.

And to boot, he's 6'5 215lbs and is fairly mobile for his size + he's only 25.

 

[BigWilly]

I usually wait a while before jumping on a player, because bad streaks happen.

But what the hell is he still doing in the NHL?

 

[Green Snow Storm]

Looks like 190 of us myself included missed the boat on this one. He's been inexcusably bad.

 

[mikebel111*]

put ranger in.

he is better

 

[PuckMagi]

How this guy keeps on getting trashed on HF and being called a bottom pairing D is beyond me.

Franson is EASILY a top 4 Dman. Heck, even if he was soft as butter and crap defensively he still could be a top 4 Dman on some teams. He has top notch offensive talent, one of the best point shots in the league as well. But the thing is, he isn't soft and throws hits (124 in 45 games), and he definitely isn't bad defensively. He's shown he can match against top offensive lines as the season progressed.

And to boot, he's 6'5 215lbs and is fairly mobile for his size + he's only 25.

i sort of agree with this... except for the fact that franson makes huge mistakes virtually every game now. most of the time he's fine... but it seems like at least once per game he'll make a horrible give away, or get caught pinching, or something like that. if he could stop making those mistakes, he'd be a good player... but given that he seems to keep making these same mistakes game in and game out... i donno how much longer we're supposed to put up with it.

 

[bbgobie]

I'm pretty sure I'm one of the 31, but how can we view what we voted for ourselves?
There was a few days back in the summer where my faith was weak listening to all the hardcore fans on here.

 

[Duke Silver]

i sort of agree with this... except for the fact that franson makes huge mistakes virtually every game now. most of the time he's fine... but it seems like at least once per game he'll make a horrible give away, or get caught pinching, or something like that. if he could stop making those mistakes, he'd be a good player... but given that he seems to keep making these same mistakes game in and game out... i donno how much longer we're supposed to put up with it.

That post was from July.

Methinks Phion may have re-considered his opinion on Franson, like many of us.

 

[Al14]

How this guy keeps on getting trashed on HF and being called a bottom pairing D is beyond me.

Franson is EASILY a top 4 Dman. Heck, even if he was soft as butter and crap defensively he still could be a top 4 Dman on some teams. He has top notch offensive talent, one of the best point shots in the league as well. But the thing is, he isn't soft and throws hits (124 in 45 games), and he definitely isn't bad defensively. He's shown he can match against top offensive lines as the season progressed.

And to boot, he's 6'5 215lbs and is fairly mobile for his size + he's only 25.

GTFO and take mistake prone Franson with you.

No, really, Franson is too slow! He is also too mistake prone to be a top 4 D man. His hitting and shot from the point on the PP don't make up for the fact he makes so many bone headed mistakes, and, is too slow to recover from them as well.

I say trade him in a package that gets us a true, more reliable, top 4 D-man.

 

[bbgobie]

Nvm, found this, if I voted top 4 after that post just put me in the crazy leaf nation nut house.

He's a serviceable bottom pairing D who has the bonus of a shot that finds its way through traffic and that is all.
People who have him on the top line or making 4mil on his RFA contract are nuts.

 

[Revolt]

Neither. He's a bottom pairing d man with a good shot for the pp. he can't quarterback the pp

 

[PuckMagi]

That post was from July.

Methinks Phion may have re-considered his opinion on Franson, like many of us.

lol... just realized the date. whoops

i probably would have said the same thing back then

 

[Intact]

I was on the Franson hate bandwagon before it was cool !!!!!!!!

 

[Intact]

Seriously though Franson's ****, and he was never good for any stretch of time, just sheltered. I've been saying this since the day he arrived in Toronto, I'm actually surprised I wasn't hating on Franson in this thread. Franson can't skate at an NHL level, he can't take a regular shift just like Mark Fraser.

 

[The Kessel Run]

I don't think anyone, even those who weren't hot to trot on Cody to begin with, predicted he would lay this kind of a stinkbomb on us.

 

[headwire]

He's played terribly so far this season. He also seems like a management headache to boot as it seems like every year there is something going on with his contract. He may move on from the Leafs and do great things, but as of right now we're probably better off without him.

 

[DD03]

He's probably got the worst luck of anyone this season. Wow.

 

[ShaneFalco]

Just like Gardiner, I'd be hesitant to move Franson until RC is replaced.
But I change my mind on Franson by the week
I just don't know what he is.......

 

[rdawg1234]

He legitimately gives up a goal at least once a game.

He'd be solid on a very defensive minded team, i.e st louis, there he could flourish as a 3rd pairing D as they have such a good d-core.

but he should be nowhere near top 4 in minutes, too slow and just makes some very poor decisions.

 

[Intact]

I don't think anyone, even those who weren't hot to trot on Cody to begin with, predicted he would lay this kind of a stinkbomb on us.

Here's a post by me on August 11, and I was one of the 15% against Franson in the summer. The thread was name a player on your own team who is overrated.

By Leafs fans: Mark Fraser is complete trash and is not an NHL defenceman, just as bad as Kostka in the playoffs and people don't see it somehow. Cody Franson sucks in my opinion, bottom pairing with #2 pp duties. Kadri absolutely skyrocketed the stats of the Fraser-Franson pairing, Kadri will probably regress a little next year and that pairing will be nowhere near as good. Fraser will play his last 30ish games of his career this season in an NHL role IMO. Lupul is definitely overrated by Leafs fans, at the end of last season many thought he is as good as Kessel, which is completely ridiculous.

Franson has always, always sucked. I've always thought Leafs fans MUST be watching different games than me with the praise the guy has gotten. I always thought I just had a bias against Franson (I clearly do ), turns out I was justified somewhat.

 

[Phion Keneuf]

GTFO and take mistake prone Franson with you.

No, really, Franson is too slow! He is also too mistake prone to be a top 4 D man. His hitting and shot from the point on the PP don't make up for the fact he makes so many bone headed mistakes, and, is too slow to recover from them as well.

I say trade him in a package that gets us a true, more reliable, top 4 D-man.

that post was from more than half a year ago..
and i still stand by it, except for the "not bad defensively" part

he has top notch offensive abilities + is really physical. If he was average or slightly below average defensively he would still be a top 4 guy imo. But he has been down right awful defensively this year for whatever reason

wouldnt surprise me if he flourished greatly on another team, or even if he turns it around next year

 

[jmart21]

He's an excellent bottom pairing defender that struggles to be consistent when given consistent top 4 minutes.

 

[CerebralDevil]

that post was from more than half a year ago..
and i still stand by it, except for the "not bad defensively" part

he has top notch offensive abilities + is really physical. If he was average or slightly below average defensively he would still be a top 4 guy imo. But he has been down right awful defensively this year for whatever reason

wouldnt surprise me if he flourished greatly on another team, or even if he turns it around next year

Sorry but Franson is a bizzaro Gill player, horrible defensively but can contribute on the PP that's all. He makes and continues to make the same mistakes night after night

 

[Purity*]

He legitimately gives up a goal at least once a game.

He'd be solid on a very defensive minded team, i.e st louis, there he could flourish as a 3rd pairing D as they have such a good d-core.

but he should be nowhere near top 4 in minutes, too slow and just makes some very poor decisions.

Franson+ For Roman Polak??? Blues have enough power defensively on their D-core, while we lack on it. They already have Pietrangelo/Bouwmeester/Shattenkirk, they should just show us mercy and make the trade

 

[Hyperglide]

lol at the poll results. I bet if you asked this question now and added the poll today, the results would be massively skewed the other way.

Franson flat out sucks on defense he's atrocious. To slow, not mobile enough east to west, makes boneheaded plays all the time, turns the puck over to much.

All he's good for is sheltered minutes in the bottom pairing and PP minutes because he does have a good shot and pass.

I don't want this bum back his turnover last night pretty much sealed the deal for Florida. And that was just 1 game. Trade him while his value is high.

 

[Daisy Jane]

okay.

I... am going to throw this out there.

I wonder how much of his bad play has to do with the fact that he's playing for a contract? Usually - it's not like this - usually, people reach Upper Level Limits of Subban Awesome, win a Norris trophy, and go "now what."

but almost all of his decisions have been basically made by pinching [to try to garner more points], and he's become more physical [which i'd be okay with him not doing, because clearly someone can't walk and chew bubble gum at the same time].

So there is a part of me - if he was offered a contract would his play [third paring], would elevate more.

but then there's the part that sees the guy who sat out for all of training camp, got a contract and has played like sheer and utter poop. and WILL demand a 4x4 contract at least - based on points.


it's tough.