Dreger: "Franson is no dummy" in contract talks with Leafs

Darren Dreger was on Toronto’s TSN 1050 on Tuesday morning.

On if there’s any update on contract negotiations with the Leafs and Cody Franson, now that we’re into January:

“No official update in terms of getting into the hard negotiations, but you know it’s just a matter of time and that has to get going. As poor as the Toronto defence has been, it’s hard to imagine that they’re going to be better without Cody Franson. But put yourself in Cody Franson’s shoes. He’s had a couple of real ugly negotiations, I think that’s fair to describe, with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

“I would that say he’s having an okay season, not a great year, but he’s a right-shot defenseman with some size. Some are questioning how mobile he might be and how often he shoots, but that’s fine. When you’re going into unrestricted free agency, you don’t just look at how great you are. You look at reasons to bring that dollar figure down, and I’m sure that Toronto has assembled that list, as other teams have as well, as they look to July.

“But Franson is no dummy. He recognizes there’s an opportunity here. And he’s going to say all the right things to the media. Of course he is. ‘I want to stay in Toronto. I love this city. I love my teammates.’ All of those things. And perhaps he does. But he’d be a poor businessman if he didn’t negotiate really, really hard knowing there’s a good chance he’ll probably pull in, what, $5 million per year as an unrestricted free agent? Toronto is going to have to make some moves if they think they’re going to afford that number.”

Source: TSN 1050/ Transcript: Nichols on Hockey