(Rumor/Speculation) Franson: Vancouver 'would be a very intriguing spot'

[VegasCanuck]

Doesn't matter if 29 teams come knocking when he isn't interested in moving. He wants to stay, and likely his teams he'd be interested in going to would be as limited as Kesler's.

I agree, I don't think his list would be that high. I think everyone undervalues what he can still do for a team. I'm not saying he's still a first or second pairing defenseman, but he still has a good physical component to his game that we would need to replace.

Franson does nothing to address that.

From what I've seen of Franson, I think the reason this discussion is about trying to sign him for 5 million and not for 7 - 8 million is because he has no defensive awareness, and hasn't since he came into the league. He is also really lacking on compete level and Benning is trying to assemble a team that competes really hard, is aggressive while being defensively aware. Franson does not fit that description. Anyone disagree with that assessment, please say so. I'm sure you will!

[Boudrias]

I agree, I don't think his list would be that high. I think everyone undervalues what he can still do for a team. I'm not saying he's still a first or second pairing defenseman, but he still has a good physical component to his game that we would need to replace.

Franson does nothing to address that.

From what I've seen of Franson, I think the reason this discussion is about trying to sign him for 5 million and not for 7 - 8 million is because he has no defensive awareness, and hasn't since he came into the league. He is also really lacking on compete level and Benning is trying to assemble a team that competes really hard, is aggressive while being defensively aware. Franson does not fit that description. Anyone disagree with that assessment, please say so. I'm sure you will! : :D

His time in TO should be a automatic nix to any signing. The Laffers have a disease which has to be quarantined at all costs. Next

thing you know CDC will be talking a Kessel deal.

[nergish]

I push hard for Mike Green on July 1st.

Franson as plan B.

Hopefully come out of the draft with a top defensive prospect (with our pick or by moving up).

Try to trade for somebody like Larsson as well (young d man with oodles of potential). Obviously this is no small task, but we need to shuffle the deck on the backend. Nobody should be safe outside of Edler and Tanev.

We have skilled forwards making the jump, so this off season should be all about restocking on defence.

If it sounds like we're building a physically weak but highly skilled team, you're right. The Canucks have always won with offence. If Kassian isn't trade bait, we need to get him to become a bash bro/mentor for Virtanen, but we need to create a fun overall team atmosphere where all of our skill guys are given time/space to be creative and get used to scoring goals.

[Miltt]

Why wouldn't Toronto just sign Franson for under $5M rather than trade assets for Bieksa at $4.6M in that case?

Because it's in our interests. Didn't you get the memo?

[Sedintwinpowersactivate]

^{If Bieska is such a Liability then pair him with Hamhuis again. Put Tanev with Sbisa and
Franson with Edler.}

^{Edler Franson}

^{Hamhuis Bieska}

^{Sbisa Tanev}

^{Trade Miller, Higgins to give some cap space.}

^{Expensive defense, but there is toughness and steadiness on each pair.}

^{If it becomes apparent that Bieska can't play anymore early in to next season then try to trade him and promote Corrado or Clendening. Bieska would fetch something decent on repretation alone.}

[PhillipBlunt]

^{If Bieska is such a Liability then pair him with Hamhuis again. Put Tanev with Sbisa and}

Franson with Edler.

^{Edler Franson}

^{Hamhuis Bieska}

^{Sbisa Tanev}

^{Trade Miller, Higgins to give some cap space.}

^{Expensive defense, but there is toughness and steadiness on each pair.}

^{If it becomes apparent that Bieska can't play anymore early in to next season then try to trade him and promote Corrado or Clendening. Bieska would fetch something decent on repretation alone.}

SPEAK UP!

[elvis15]

Because it's in our interests. Didn't you get the memo?

I'm always the last to hear on anything...

[48MPHSlapShot]

Say it with me now....

"Physical 2-way D with some offense"

The funny thing about those guys as they need offensive players to get points with as they're not primary drivers of offense. It's no different than Edler.

Edler when we had Ehrhoff and/or Salo = 40-50 points. Edler with Tanev = 30 points.

We need an Ehrhoff/Salo, not another Edler. We've already got an Edler and just got rid of a second, redundant one (Garrison) last year. Do you really think the GM who did that is going to get another player of the same mold for even more money this summer?

Derp indeed.

No need to be a jerk.

[Goal:thecup]

Benning wants 11 D and has 9;(Edler, Tanev, Hamhuis, Bieksa, Sbisa, Weber, Stanton, Clendening, Corrado).

Bieksa wants to stay and has the right to stay however I think he may be moved down the roster.

I see no value in trading or waiving loyal players who want to finish out their contracts (if not their careers).

If that means Kevin is in the press box, it also means we have 6 better players than him on the ice.

Most of the top of the roster is set and the jury is still out on the bottom half.

Stanton did not get much love last season and Weber played about as well as he could, so they may moved.

Clendening and Corrado will probably get a longer look this year but may be moved if the deal is right.

Any trading away of defensemen must include a plan of getting defensemen back if he is to reach 11.

You know management must want some push from the young guys but who is capable of providing it?

One or two maybe, of Biega, Andersson, Sanguinetti, Pedan, Hutton? Not Tryamkin, yet.

And probably none of the D that played in junior hockey this year.

Benning doesn't want to spend on UFAs, especially $5-6m UFAs.

This is the time for UFAs to cash in and that means overpaying.

We want to spend to the cap without overpaying any particular player.

I could see Benning trading for a $5-6m D though, even more if the right player became available.

Some push down from the top of the roster would make for serious and much-needed improvement to the back end.

Can't wait to see what Linden and Benning decide to do; really looking forward to watching their plans play out.

Franson would be nice, but I would rather spend his money on a player acquired through trading.

Trading and developing youth I think, not signing free agents, is the way to go.

[48MPHSlapShot]

Benning wants 11 D and has 9;(Edler, Tanev, Hamhuis, Bieksa, Sbisa, Weber, Stanton, Clendening, Corrado).

Bieksa wants to stay and has the right to stay however I think he may be moved down the roster.

I see no value in trading or waiving loyal players who want to finish out their contracts (if not their careers).

If that means Kevin is in the press box, it also means we have 6 better players than him on the ice.

Most of the top of the roster is set and the jury is still out on the bottom half.

Stanton did not get much love last season and Weber played about as well as he could, so they may moved.

Clendening and Corrado will probably get a longer look this year but may be moved if the deal is right.

Any trading away of defensemen must include a plan of getting defensemen back if he is to reach 11.

You know management must want some push from the young guys but who is capable of providing it?

One or two maybe, of Biega, Andersson, Sanguinetti, Pedan, Hutton? Not Tryamkin, yet.

And probably none of the D that played in junior hockey this year.

Benning doesn't want to spend on UFAs, especially $5-6m UFAs.

This is the time for UFAs to cash in and that means overpaying.

We want to spend to the cap without overpaying any particular player.

I could see Benning trading for a $5-6m D though, even more if the right player became available.

Some push down from the top of the roster would make for serious and much-needed improvement to the back end.

Can't wait to see what Linden and Benning decide to do; really looking forward to watching their plans play out.

Franson would be nice, but I would rather spend his money on a player acquired through trading.

Trading and developing youth I think, not signing free agents, is the way to go.

The issue is that I don't think we'll be able to require any high end D via trade without dipping into our prospect pool, and nobody wants that.

If we have Bieksa sitting in the press box, then we have 4.5 million dollars worth of cap space doing nothing for the team. Personally, I think it would be better to move him for whatever assets we can get for him. We're just going to lose him to free agency once his contract runs out anyways, might as well get something for him while we still can.

The one good thing about free agents, is that you get them for nothing but money and cap space. We wouldn't need to part with, say, a pick or a prospect to land Franson. And, we can always move him if it doesn't work out.

Personally, I'd like to see us move some of our redundant vets (Bieksa, Burrows, Higgins) for picks, and land one of the higher end free agent Dmen (like Franson).

[Maginator]

Im living in Salmon Arm and know his sister. I was telling her to get him to sign in Vancouver. Apperently he has said in the past he doesn't want to play in Van because of the media and market. There is potential to have your rep ruined while being a bc boy, also not to mention the countless conversations and comments about your team from random strangers. This was a month or so ago, things may change though. I wouldn't mind having him here, he's exactly what we need.

[aGENT]

No need to be a jerk.

Apologies if it came off jerk'ish but:

1)You started the "derp'ing"

2)People seem to have a very confused idea of what a PMD is, why we need one and why neither Edler or Franson are one.

[Goal:thecup]

The issue is that I don't think we'll be able to require any high end D via trade without dipping into our prospect pool, and nobody wants that.

If we have Bieksa sitting in the press box, then we have 4.5 million dollars worth of cap space doing nothing for the team. Personally, I think it would be better to move him for whatever assets we can get for him. We're just going to lose him to free agency once his contract runs out anyways, might as well get something for him while we still can.

The one good thing about free agents, is that you get them for nothing but money and cap space. We wouldn't need to part with, say, a pick or a prospect to land Franson. And, we can always move him if it doesn't work out.

Personally, I'd like to see us move some of our redundant vets (Bieksa, Burrows, Higgins) for picks, and land one of the higher end free agent Dmen (like Franson).

I see your point but when you talk of trading players with NTCs to get the room to sign UFAs, I have to disagree.

At least for players like Bieksa, Burrows, and the Sedins.

I don't see us having 6 better D than Kevin either, and therefore he wouldn't likely be in the press box.

In other words, if we had 6 better D than Bieksa, we would not need to sign overpaid UFAs.

Overpaid players distort the roster and hold back players who deserve a chance at their position.

The team has to have underpaid talent (youth) in order to stay under the cap.

And they have to wait out these long-term NTC contracts, not sign more of them.

To make the assets available to trade for great players on expensive contracts, management has to make some decisions on prospects and players, and put these assets into the trade market.

It is like the corollary to deciding which players to draft and develop; they are going to have to decide who we are going to be moving forward without.

And you have to give to get, so the more star power you chase, the more difficult it becomes to part with the necessary assets to make the deal.

This is where you have to let good veterans (w/o NTCs) go, as well as whichever of our good prospects you can part with.

We seem to be getting a bit deep in prospects for left wing, centre, and goal for example.

Maybe its lw: Shinkaruk or Baertschi, and c: McCann or Cassels, with g: Lack or Markstrom, where you don't really want to part with them, but you make the decision on who you can move forward without.

You can't keep them all, for various reasons (# of contracts, risk of waiver loss, roster room on development teams, cap constraints, etc.), so the sooner you decide who is going to be traded, the better.

I love them all and don't want to give up on any of them, but I am a fan, and can only hope management is as good at this task as they have been at drafting and trading.

[VegasCanuck]

His time in TO should be a automatic nix to any signing. The Laffers have a disease which has to be quarantined at all costs. Next

thing you know CDC will be talking a Kessel deal.

I think a number of fans already did that around the trade deadline lol

[MoneypuckOverlord]

Im living in Salmon Arm and know his sister. I was telling her to get him to sign in Vancouver. Apperently he has said in the past he doesn't want to play in Van because of the media and market. There is potential to have your rep ruined while being a bc boy, also not to mention the countless conversations and comments about your team from random strangers. This was a month or so ago, things may change though. I wouldn't mind having him here, he's exactly what we need.

He's the opposite of what we need, and I personally don't want to see him signed by Vancouver.

[BI3KSA-]

Sedin - Sedin - Kassian

Franson - Edler

Baertschi - Horvat - Bonino

Vrbata - Clendening/Hamhuis/Bieksa

Would definetly help get our PP back to the top.

Why the heck would Kassian be on the first PP instead of Vrbata?

[Mackcanuck]

Thomas Willis ‏@TomAWillis 21h21 hours ago

Poile says the #Preds will probably not re-sign Franson or Santorelli.

[Bass_Solo]

Why the heck would Kassian be on the first PP instead of Vrbata?

Maybe to give us more of a 1-2 punch? Our second power play line seems pretty dismal. Kass being a big body can stand in front of the net causing havoc with the twins, and Vrby can give us a little more success on our second PP line. Seems reasonable to me. At least enough to try it.

[Seven pounds soft]

Personally I can't see JB Playing the FA market to much unless something falls into his lap i.e. Hometown discount / perfect fit. Franson might fit if he doesn't try to max out and signs a fair deal.

[PhillipBlunt]

Im living in Salmon Arm and know his sister. I was telling her to get him to sign in Vancouver. Apperently he has said in the past he doesn't want to play in Van because of the media and market. There is potential to have your rep ruined while being a bc boy, also not to mention the countless conversations and comments about your team from random strangers. This was a month or so ago, things may change though. I wouldn't mind having him here, he's exactly what we need.

I was driving an ATV down Burtch Rd in Kelowna and saw Shea Weber crossing the street. I drove up to him and asked why he wasn't playing in Vancouver. He said he was waiting for Cody Franson's sister to tell him to demand a trade.