The Buffalo Sabres announced on Thursday that they had signed free agent defenseman Cody Franson to a two-year deal. The team and player were said to be courting one another for some time, but that term was a sticking point. Franson had operated under one-year deals for the past three seasons in a row with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but will now have at least some small semblance of security with the Sabres.
ESPN's Pierre LeBrun reports that Franson's deal carries an AAV of $3.325 million, which would be a slight increase over the $3.3 million he made last year.
Franson, 28, is a former first-round pick of the Nashville Predators. After spending the entirety of his first two NHL seasons with the Predators, appearing in 61 and 80 games, he was dealt to the Maple Leafs. Franson spent four seasons with the Leafs, but never quite seemed able to take the next step in his development as evidenced by the franchise's reticence to lock him up long-term. This past season, he was dealt to the Predators ahead of the NHL trade deadline and struggled to provide an impact for a flailing Nashville team in the playoffs. For his career, Franson has appeared in 400 NHL games, amassing 35 goals and 134 assists. He has also appeared in 28 playoff contests, netting four goals and 11 assists.
For the Sabres, Franson seems likely to slot in almost immediately amongst the top-four on the blueline. As Jared Clinton of The Hockey News notes, Franson probably even has an opportunity to find himself on the top pairing, alongside either Zach Bogosian or Rasmus Ristolainen, depending on how Buffalo's training camp shakes out. While Franson won't be the final piece that puts the Sabres over the top, there's no doubting that his addition makes their lineup deeper and therefore stronger.
