seanlinden
Registered User
- Apr 28, 2009
- 25,047
- 1,504
This past summer, the Leafs overhauled / retooled their defence, but also decided to re-up a pair of RFAs in Franson & Gardiner. Gardiner got the $4m 5 year deal to buy one year of unrestricted free agency, Franson got his 3rd consecutive 1 year deal at $3.3m, to take him to unrestricted free agency.
20 games into the season...
Franson: 18 GP (injured to start), 3 goals, 11 assists, +5, playing on the top pair at even strength with Dion Phaneuf, top powerplay, and #2 PK unit.
Gardiner: 18 GP (healthy scratch 2 games), 1 goal, 3 assists, -9, playing on what would likely be considered a 2nd pair with Robidas and/or Polak, top powerplay and no PK time.
Obviously, the Leafs didn't have the cap space to extend both long term, but if Franson can continue his early season play, he's likely looking at the deal that Matt Niskanen got last year, and saying me too.
Would they not have been better off, had they locked him up long term (let's say 5 years X 4.75m), and given Gardiner a 1 year bridge at something like $2.5m? especially considering in a worst-case scenario, they had a "Gardiner-backup" in Morgan Rielly, nobody who has Franson's skills.
20 games into the season...
Franson: 18 GP (injured to start), 3 goals, 11 assists, +5, playing on the top pair at even strength with Dion Phaneuf, top powerplay, and #2 PK unit.
Gardiner: 18 GP (healthy scratch 2 games), 1 goal, 3 assists, -9, playing on what would likely be considered a 2nd pair with Robidas and/or Polak, top powerplay and no PK time.
Obviously, the Leafs didn't have the cap space to extend both long term, but if Franson can continue his early season play, he's likely looking at the deal that Matt Niskanen got last year, and saying me too.
Would they not have been better off, had they locked him up long term (let's say 5 years X 4.75m), and given Gardiner a 1 year bridge at something like $2.5m? especially considering in a worst-case scenario, they had a "Gardiner-backup" in Morgan Rielly, nobody who has Franson's skills.