Cody Franson’s future is no longer an unknown following the signing of another one-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Leafs VP and general manager David Nonis announced on Monday that the club had agreed to terms with the 26-year-old d-man for his third one-year contract with the team, this one valued at $3.3 million US.
The last-minute deal kept the two sides from going into arbitration.
“Toronto is obviously where I want to be,” he said in a conference call with reporters on Monday.
Franson’s contract has been in limbo since last summer when his previous contract, worth $2 million US, came to and end, leaving him a restricted free agent.
Franson was rumoured to be looking for more than $4 million a season. The Leafs, however, were said to have about $6 million to spend, prior to penning a one-year deal valued at $2 million with teammate Mark Fraser.
The stalemate between the Leafs and Franson led to speculation the team may look to trade the 6’5”, 213-lb. Sicamous product.
“I’m always hopeful there wasn’t a ton of truth to all those rumours. But it’s business,” said Franson.
Franson played 322 career NHL games with Toronto and the Nashville Predators, posting 28 goals, 105 assists, 133 points, 106 minutes in penalties and a plus-eight rating. He was acquired by the Leafs along with Matthew Lombardi from the Predators in 2011.
He was originally selected by Nashville in the third round, 79th overall, in the 2005 Entry Draft.
On the heels of the recent Sicamous Shootout, Franson and fellow NHL’er Shea Weber will be back in Sicamous between Aug. 10 to 17 to once again participate in the annual Sicamous Hockey School.
