TSN: Maple Leafs have offers for D Franson (prefer to re-sign him)

[The CyNick]

Which is why you have him on a 3rd pairing.

Look, I understand all the hate Franson has been getting. I mean, there was a BRUTAL stretch where he was garunteed to have at least one goal against a game. But I don't think Franson was used right last season... He was clearly much better two years ago.

At the end of the day... a 6'5" Right Handed, Mobile (for his size), Physical, Offensive defensman are difficult to get in the NHL. I think we're a better team with Franson than without IF we use Franson properly.

This said... if he's asking for North of 3 million... then yes, of course we trade him!

I guess we have different definitions of mobile. I always used it on guys who were smooth skaters and had the ability to skate himself out of trouble. curious what yours is.

Based on his point totals, guaranteed he's looking for a deal north or 3 million.

 

[HonestHockey*]

I guess we have different definitions of mobile. I always used it on guys who were smooth skaters and had the ability to skate himself out of trouble. curious what yours is.

Based on his point totals, guaranteed he's looking for a deal north or 3 million.

Brutal term way over used. Means you usually skated yourself into trouble. The puck moves a lot quicker than anyone can skate. Pass the puck.

 

[HonestHockey*]

what does Gardiner, Greene, or Mitchell have to do with a comment about Franson's skating and giveaways?

Your comment belongs in the "let's compare and contrast Cody Franson, Jake Gardiner, Matt Geene, and Willie Mitchell" thread. mods please move.

Really? The comment points to how much dislike for a certain player, with no real warrant, there really is.

 

[Nithoniniel]

Or try and use Franson to move up in the draft.



Franson and 8th for 5th overall in 2014.

Yes please.

 

[Tyler Biggs*]

Size, young, good offensive instincts, mobility, right shot. Give him the right defensive partner and he's set. Unless the Leafs are getting a lot in return, it would be a mistake to trade Franson at this point.

 

[Teeder9]

Size, young, good offensive instincts, mobility, right shot. Give him the right defensive partner and he's set. Unless the Leafs are getting a lot in return, it would be a mistake to trade Franson at this point.

Jesus, another dman who needs the "right" partner to be ok?

 

[highslot]

we were in the top 4 in terms of PP% all year and fell to 6th right at the end, the PP was not an issue. and never was. in the last 8 games our PP was 2/23 for an awful 8.7%, prior to that we were at 20.9% which puts us in the top 5. it was some time in those final 8 games that they started to use Gardiner/Rielly more. not before then. so no it didn't start to click they had that one nice goal off the redirect pass by Gardiner to Rielly vs Detriot but other then that they didn't produce.

the leafs also gave up the 2nd most amount of shorthanded goals. only edmonton was worse!

maybe you disagree but i'd rather be mid pack and have few short handed goals against, if i was a coach.

if you were watching the games, it was because franson even more than phaneuf couldn't control the boards, or were poorly positioned, and then couldn't beat anyone in a foot race.

 

[Tyler Biggs*]

Jesus, another dman who needs the "right" partner to be ok?

If he had a coach that did more than just yell, and a veteran Dman to mentor him a bit, Franson could be a good quality 2nd pairing defender. He is big and has a good shot, has alright hockey IQ and is an average skater. He's being hurt by the Leafs lack of structure in their own end and lack of help from the forwards, imo (as most Leafs D are). I say keep him but you have to address those other problems.

 

[bobermay]

I guess we have different definitions of mobile. I always used it on guys who were smooth skaters and had the ability to skate himself out of trouble. curious what yours is.

Based on his point totals, guaranteed he's looking for a deal north or 3 million.

First off, what this guy said:

Brutal term way over used. Means you usually skated yourself into trouble. The puck moves a lot quicker than anyone can skate. Pass the puck.

Also Mobility and Speed are not the same thing...

I didn't say Franson was a speedy defender... I said he was mobile for his size. He can actually stop and go, and turn pretty sharply for a player of his size.

Secondly... if he's 'Guaranteed' to get more than 3 mil then he's a lot better a player then what you're giving him credit for.

 

[ChickenMcNugget]

Size, young, good offensive instincts, mobility, right shot. Give him the right defensive partner and he's set. Unless the Leafs are getting a lot in return, it would be a mistake to trade Franson at this point.

his value is at a low right now, but the defence was a big problem in our season and we need to let people out.

The defenseman that're most likely gona be gone IMO are

1. Franson
2. Phaneuf
3. Gardiner

 

[Al14]

Jesus, another dman who needs the "right" partner to be ok?

Exactly! A good defender can defend good, despite who his partner is.

Your D partner just can't keep you from making stupid mistakes if you're prone to dumb decisions!

 

[nuck]

Size, young, good offensive instincts, mobility, right shot. Give him the right defensive partner and he's set. Unless the Leafs are getting a lot in return, it would be a mistake to trade Franson at this point.

But who gets the pp time if they keep him? Doesn't that mean Reilly and Gardner lose out and also that offensive guys are required to be used in situations where they aren't or can't attack, because they are stacked with offensive guys? If Gleason and Ranger were both better defensively(although Ranger was +7 during Feb/Mar/April crash), and if Dion was actually a shutdown guy it could work, but even then they are dividing their offensive minutes up too many ways. I could see doing it for a season to bolster Gardner and Franson's value for trade purposes, but I think it would lead to a repeat of the defensive issues of the last two years, just not Franson being blamed for everything.

I wouldn't want to give Franson away with his current diminished value, but if they were to keep this group of D the club would have to unload one of the young guys by mid season. Don't need four pp quarterbacks.

Gleason played a lot worse than Ranger the last three months of the season and dropping him would probably improve the club even more, but I guess that isn't an option. If he was moved to #7 maybe a Ranger/Franson 3rd pairing might have better success. They play the same side so saw no minutes together last year, but it might be worth a look. That kind of leaves a Reilly/Gardner pairing which seems spooky, but both did not have a bad Feb-Apr even though the club was floundering.

 

[HonestHockey*]

Exactly! A good defender can defend good, despite who his partner is.

Your D partner just can't keep you from making stupid mistakes if you're prone to dumb decisions!

Yeah made Franson look terrible having to cover game in game out for his partner.

 

[Trapper]

Jesus, another dman who needs the "right" partner to be ok?

Lol. This team has 7 D-men who all need the right partner.
Excellent.

 

[Purity*]

Yeah made Franson look terrible having to cover game in game out for his partner.

You got it completely backwards.

 

[J1S]

If Franson can revert to his form of 2 years ago, I wouldn't mind keeping him at all.

He played sheltered minutes with Fraser that year, we need him to be a 3-4 RHD and he simply isn't that. He was exposed to the limit this past year playing the minutes we need him to play.

 

[Tyler Biggs*]

I don't think Randy can use him properly. I'm prepared to turn the page on Franson. If it's under $2.5, OK bring him back. But nothing over that.

I have no problem re-signing Franson as a 5-6 pairing, not in the top 4, which means re-signing him to 5-6 pairing money.

If he wants anything over $3.5, I'd probably look to trade him for the highest and best offer.

 

[HonestHockey*]

You got it completely backwards.

Except Franson already had a good season with a real partner.

 

[HonestHockey*]

He played sheltered minutes with Fraser that year, we need him to be a 3-4 RHD and he simply isn't that. He was exposed to the limit this past year playing the minutes we need him to play.

Then we need a 3-4. Pretty simple.

 

[Purity*]

Except Franson already had a good season with a real partner.

Touche. Just like the amazing season Kadri had with "good linemates"?? (not David Clarkson). Hell, atleast they aren't playing in the AHL this year.

 

[johnny_rudeboy]

Lol. This team has 7 D-men who all need the right partner.
Excellent.

And then there is the forwards...

We have to many players with below average hockey IQ, who only are consistently good at one end of the ice and who need the perfect partner(s) to be effective, but those partner(s) can not be found on the roster.

Successful teams have lots of smart 2-way players who can jump between lines and find chemistry (the ability to play effective with your partner(s) ) thus making the coaches job a lot easier when he have to deal with injuries, suspensions and cold players.

We have managed to create one line who are effective but even so, they are one of the worst lines defensively in the league meaning they cost us as many points as they earn us over a season.

Blow it up and rebuild.

I have high hopes for Percy, Finn and Granberg. They at least seem to be the kind of defenders who not only can carry their own weight on the team but also make who ever they play with better. Perhaps that they are all described as smart players have something to do with it...

 

[Cap'n Flavour]

Also Mobility and Speed are not the same thing...

I didn't say Franson was a speedy defender... I said he was mobile for his size. He can actually stop and go, and turn pretty sharply for a player of his size.

Franson is a bad skater. I can't believe people are arguing that he's mobile, even for his size. And even if I were to believe you, what use is a big lug who can turn but can't ever get up to speed to catch his check?

 

[HonestHockey*]

Franson is a bad skater. I can't believe people are arguing that he's mobile, even for his size. And even if I were to believe you, what use is a big lug who can turn but can't ever get up to speed to catch his check?

Can we stop with this ridiculous comment.

 

[HonestHockey*]

And then there is the forwards...

We have to many players with below average hockey IQ, who only are consistently good at one end of the ice and who need the perfect partner(s) to be effective, but those partner(s) can not be found on the roster.

Successful teams have lots of smart 2-way players who can jump between lines and find chemistry (the ability to play effective with your partner(s) ) thus making the coaches job a lot easier when he have to deal with injuries, suspensions and cold players.

We have managed to create one line who are effective but even so, they are one of the worst lines defensively in the league meaning they cost us as many points as they earn us over a season.

Blow it up and rebuild.

I have high hopes for Percy, Finn and Granberg. They at least seem to be the kind of defenders who not only can carry their own weight on the team but also make who ever they play with better. Perhaps that they are all described as smart players have something to do with it...

You do realize Toronto's top line faces probably the highest QoC in the NHL right? Fix line two so it can play some real quality and I bet line ones goal differential improves greatly.

 

[johnny_rudeboy]

You do realize Toronto's top line faces probably the highest QoC in the NHL right? Fix line two so it can play some real quality and I bet line ones goal differential improves greatly.

Good point and that is another problem. Our best line is still not good enough to go up against other teams top lines.