Report: Cody Franson Considering Blackhawks
Hearing former #Leafs D Cody Franson deciding between Chicago, Edmonton, Vancouver and San Jose. Looking like a one-year deal for the UFA.
— Dhiren Mahiban (@dcmahiban) September 5, 2017
Franson, who turned 30 on Aug. 8, was originally a third round pick of Nashville in 2005. He appeared in 68 games with Buffalo last year, scoring three goals with 16 assists. He was also credited with 87 hits and 68 blocked shots.
Chicago continues to consider right-handed shots on their blue line as training camp approaches. As it stands today, the Hawks have three righties on the roster: Brent Seabrook, Connor Murphy and Michal Rozsival. Jan Ruuta and Ville Pokka are also in the mix for a roster spot.
Is this guy legit? Not typical NHL insider.
Why Is Rozsival Still With The Hawks ? old,Slow,and way Past His Prime.
Franson is not good. Rozsival is also not good. Rozsival speaks Czech and can help with a couple young Czech players who might make the team. If you can’t afford a 7/8 d-man who is better than not good, I’d rather have Rozsival over Franson.
Please, let’s retire Rozsival. This is a joke!!! How bad can POKKA and RUUTA be??? He cannot keep up and way, way past his prime. PASTURE!!!!
Let’s get serious and move on!!!
We know that Coach Q wants experience on the blue line. Franson is much better then Rozy. Makes a lot of sense. Add Franson drop Rozy
My reaction to this is Meh ! Not sure I really want to see Franson out there on opening night.
But coming at it from a different angle, Stan and Q both agree you need 10 NHL capable defensemen to make a playoff run. Having replaced TVR, Campbell, Oduya and Nik H with Murphy, Oesterle, Rutta leaves us short.
Keith-Seabrook-Murphy-Kempny-Forsling-Ruuta-Oesterle-Roszival-Gustafson-Pokka, looks DANGEROUSLY inexperienced. You could make the case that outside of the top 3, the next 7 look iffy. Are 3 of those 6 going to become legitimate NHLers? We don’t know. Lord knows Rosy is done and is merely here as a translator.
I think Im talking myself into wanting Franson to choose the Hawks.
The Blackhawks need to get faster and is Franson fast ,no. They need an improved penalty kill does log pk minutes, no. They need a strong defender who can log alot of minutes is Franson that guy , no. Franson is a 3rd pair dman who be of some helpful on pp at best.
Agreed–Hawks need to get faster… Yet – SB – inks long term, NMC, on Older/slower D guy for big $$$… (Scratching my head)
Pens- have won 2 in row- with no-name, lesser D guys ???
Coach/system??? might just be on to something there… kinda like Patriots in NFL…
Ian, good points.
Franson would be a far worse than Campbell was — assuming he was bad — last season. Campbell on one leg would be an improvement over Roszival. Head scratching.
Speaking of, anytime Bowman spends searching for lower tier/press box D-men is fully wasted. What about the faceoffs? It’s Toews and close your eyes RE: the other three lines. Bouma & Wingels likely to be Pisani & Brunette II.
In conjunction w/ the faceoffs, what about the PK? Kruger (who had to go) & Hossa have bid us farewell. I would rather see Desjardins & Jake Dowell resurrected to solely kill penalties and take faceoffs and take them off the ice than the current options on the roster. This would be an improvement over the current state of the centers and 4th line.
The anticipated dressing of Tootoo for 40-50 games makes matters worse, it automatically makes Q roll 3 lines plus an extra forward (he usually shuts down Tootoo and someone else) by the middle of the second period.
The Red Wings are way over budget, how about trading for the Greek kid who is holding out? He has speed to burn and scored 18 goals in limited ice time last year. Give the Wings whatever cost-effective, young players they want. If the faceoffs are going to be a disaster, the Hawks need fast, offensively skilled players to transition the play the other way as quickly as possible.
Lastly, he can do commercials w/ Chelios. They will love him at the Palace Grill as well.
Athanasiou would bring skill/speed but I don’t see where he fits on the roster. I’d rather have AA at 2C and Schmaltz at 3C.
TRUE WALL!!! Again, Stan BOWMAN has no vision and a horrible scouting team that includes pro scout dinosaur PIERRE GAUTHIER!!!
CAOCH Q and BOWMAN are running different ships!!! I cannot believe ROZY has a contract or a pair of skates. Our D has gotten worse mainly because we have not drafted well at the position since NIK J??? Any other GM who also has not drafted a power forward since SAAD or a top centre since TOEWS would have been fired!
In agree with Dean, make a trade for ANTHANASIOU but SB always loses out on trades so…….. these will be lean years unless SCHMALTZ plays centre, KNOTT becomes a good NHL winger, ICOPELLI scores 20 goals, ….all impossible…
Rozsival occupies the 7th D slot. His role is to play a few times a month. You don’t slot one of the young guys into that role because they need to play every day to get better. I don’t *think* a team up against the cap takes on another contract to fill that role by signing Franson to play a few times a month either. So, you sign Franson if you think he can be an every day D while the young guys develop. I haven’t seen him that much, but if he’s so bad you don’t want him in any role, then just pass on him. But Rozsival gives a good effort when he plays, and is one of the only Chicago D-men who will knock someone on their ass for hanging around in front of our goal.
Athanasiou wants too much for a guy who had one OK year. He’s fast. But was still less than .5 PPG. When there’s a large disparity between goals and assists, typically those numbers don’t hold up (see Pirri, Brandon 49gp 22g 2a).
Top centers and power forwards grow on trees now huh?
Schmaltz is a wing. Let it be…let it be. You can’t play C in this league @ 30%
Clendening for Forsling… win.
Pk dmen… 2,7,6, Murphy
PP dmen… 2,7,6,42
Top 4 d… 2,7, 6, Murphy. Forsling 3rd pair left side. Murphy needs to be given a chance. Everybody loved Hammer. But, he will break down…he has to. Need a right shot 3rd pair. Has anyone seen Rutta play an NHL game? Franson is slow. But he’s an able body right shot with actual NHL games that cost only dollars. Is Rozsival able body? LTIR hossa… waive Rozsival…player coach…break glass and lace email up in case of emergency. Sign Franson if you feel you need depth. 2 kids coming up in Snuggerud and Gilbert that look really promising. Pokka while a right shot…is also slow, and unlike Franson…small-ish.
Colorado wants a kings ransom, and rightly so for Duchene. But he is a top 6 center. He wins draws. IMO Anisimov is a borderline top 6 c. Duchene would look awfully good here. Not sure if the Hawks have the assets to swing a deal but I’d certainly inquire. Do Pokka and Gustafson have any value there? Obviously would take a boatload more, but those 2 would clear a logjam at the AHL level for D prospects.
Sharp has said he’d do whatever is asked and has noted that he won cups playing 3 different positions. I’d like to see him as a center.
So to review. Rozsival was bounced around so badly 2 years ago in the St Louis series, Rundblad and Gustafson had to play game 7. In 2015, he broke his ankle in playoffs when his skate caught and edge in the Minnesota series. Last year nick Richie suckered punched him and he still has concussion systems, so let’s slot him in as the 7th defenseman after those 3 endings to his last 3 seasons ?
There are much better options. Nuff said
Totti. You are a complete embarrassment to the name of Totti. The Italian soccer legend knows more about hockey than you do!
As a blackhawks and Azurri fan, Totti was a way overrated embarrassment. Bring back the golden days of Pirlo and Cannavaro! Viva Italia. Viva Blackhawks! One goooooooal + One GOAL!
Btw awesome post OGIE! I agree with almost everything you said minus Sharp at center and iffy on what it would cost going for duchene though he would slot in nicely and having AA as 3rd line C would be a nice luxury to have especially knowing you’d win some more faceoffs. I’d love to see a trade though that would include Tyson Jost from Colorado if you were already getting Duchene. Jost has gone on record saying he models his game after Toews and could grow into an eventual number 1 C in a few years and hopefully by then Schmaltz as 2 C would be ready for the responsibility. I dreamed of TT taking over from Toews eventually but I’d settle for Jost now. Hey we can dream right!? Go Hawks!
Reports say Rozival still not s 100% could be there is a good chance he doesn’t play this year so Franson may be just auditioning for his role.
Duchene salary is higher than Hossa so using ltir to cover Duchene might not be aloud. They seem to be okay with their centres so may play out different than we are saying.