Toronto Maple Leafs re-sign Cody Franson

The Toronto Maple Leafs have re-signed restricted free agent defenseman Cody Franson to a one year deal worth $3.3 million, per Steve Simmons from the Toronto Sun.

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The deal was struck before the two parties settled their dispute via arbitration.

In so doing, the Leafs secure one their brightest, most promising young defenseman in an effort to return to the playoffs after a disappointing 2013-14 campaign.

The former third-round pick Franson is coming off a career year in terms of points. He totaled 33 points in 79 games played last season, leading all Toronto defenseman.

Franson also led Leafs blue liners with 18 power play points. Franson averaged a tick more than 20 minutes/game, but it was his two-way game that had some concerned and which may explain the hesitance by management to sign Franson to anything more than a one-year deal.

Franson’s plus/minus figure was a team-low -20, but that number shouldn’t concern Leafs fans as much. He’s actually been one of the best blue liners on the team in Corsi-for %, which is likely more telling of his play away from the puck than is plus/minus.

The Leafs need more offense and skill along their blue line and they’ve retained some for another year in Franson. Strong skating, offensively gifted defenseman help dictate the flow and pace of a game, and the Leafs need lots of that.

The next question will be whether or not Franson is a long-term answer. The team has to pay Dion Phaneuf a pretty penny going forward, along with others, and they may not have the cap space to keep Franson, given that Jake Gardiner and Morgan Rielly among others will chomping at the bit for playing time and cap space in a few years.

In fact, Gardiner is still a restricted free agent this summer and awaiting a pay day of his own.

If Cody Franson can once again lead the blue line in offensive production, the onus will be on Leafs management. While they have some nice young prospects, they have little enough proven talent at the NHL level for their blue line. If the team can carve out the cap space for Franson, expect them to do so.

Otherwise, expect the team to trade Franson before the deadline next spring in order to avoid another like situation next summer.