To the surprise of many, Cody Franson remains unsigned. One of the best defensemen available from the moment he hit the NHL’s free-agent market, he’s still without a home despite many teams needing depth on the blue line.
Among those teams are the Boston Bruins, whom Franson said Tuesday in a radio interview with TSN 1040 in Vancouver are one of the teams he’s talking with.
“There’s probably five or six teams right now that we’re talking to,” Franson said. “There’s some very interested ones, but some teams are in cap situations and all the rest that comes with it. So everything’s kind of just slowly rolling, but definitely have some action.”
He added later: “I asked (Milan Lucic)Â a few questions about (the Bruins). With the trade they made with Hamilton and some of the other stuff they’ve done, they’re one of the teams that we’re in talks with.
“Boston would be an interesting spot. It’s obviously an awesome city and they’ve got a great organization and all those things that come with it. Like I said, there’s a handful of other teams, too, and everything’s kind of slow rolling at the moment, and we’re taking it day by day.”
Franson would prefer to sign a contract with a term longer than one year. His last three deals have been for just a single season each.
“We’re kind of open,” he said. “Obviously, I’d like to do something more than one year. I’m sick of one-year deals. We’re open to all suggestions, really.”
Fit is important to Franson as well. He didn’t fit with the Nashville Predators as well as many people expected when the Toronto Maple Leafs shipped him to the Preds before the trade deadline last season.
“It comes down to a couple different details,” Franson said. “If you take a short-term deal, like a two-year or something like that, then I’m probably going to try to put myself in a position to win a Cup.
“First and foremost, I think after with the way things went for me in Nashville, obviously that puts in perspective how important you fit on the team you go to. … Being in the proper place on the depth chart and making sure you’re a good fit where you go is an important factor for me.”
Franson tallied a career-high 36 points in 78 games between the Leafs and Predators last season. He’s 27 years old.
Thumbnail photo via Jake Roth/USA TODAY Sports Images
