<p>One year ago, Kris Russell was a free agent trying to find a place to land. The market dried up in a quick hurry and he was left stone alone. Eventually, the Edmonton Oilers came calling and Russell signed a team-friendly one-year deal with the team. Russell was rewarded this summer with a lucrative four-year deal, something that may put the team in good stead this time around. Russell&#8217;s experience may send a message to free agents in a similar spot: The Oilers are a good place to land.</p>
<p>Cody Franson is a free agent currently and could help a team. Edmonton is a little more settled on the blue line this year and so the match may not work. That said, with Andrej Sekera injured and the Oilers possibly ratcheting up for a Stanley Cup run, a player like Franson, with a reasonable contract, could come in damned handy in 2017-18.</p>
<h1 style="text-align: center">CODY FRANSON 2016-17</h1>
<ul>
<li>5×5 points per 60: 0.89 (No.1 among regular Sabres defensemen)</li>
<li>PP points per 60: 1.22 (No. 5 among regular Sabres defensemen)</li>
<li>Corsi for 5×5 %: 50.8</li>
<li>Corsi Rel 5×5 %: +1.8</li>
<li>DFF Elite 5×5 %: 50.5</li>
<li>DFF Elite Rel 5×5 %: 3.2 (31 percent of TOI v. elites)</li>
<li>Shots on goal/percentage: 93 shots/3.2%</li>
<li>Boxcars: 68, 3-16-19</li>
<li>(All numbers via <a href="http://puckiq.com/teams/BUF">Puck IQ</a>, <a href="https://www.naturalstattrick.com/playerteams.php?season=20162017&amp;stype=2&amp;sit=ev&amp;score=all&amp;stdoi=oi&amp;rate=y&amp;team=BUF&amp;pos=D&amp;loc=B&amp;toi=0&amp;gpfilt=none&amp;fd=&amp;td=&amp;tgp=82&amp;lines=single">Natural Stat Trick</a> and <a href="https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/f/fransco01.html">hockey-reference</a>)</li>
</ul>
<p>The numbers above are all positive, Franson&#8217;s possession numbers are in the black and he played 31 percent of his 5&#215;5 minutes against top-level opposition. He would give the Oilers another veteran hand, and a reasonable power-play option (although he didn&#8217;t play much there one year ago) if required.</p>
<p>I fully expect to see Cody Franson sign in Chicago or New York or somewhere in California. I know his foot speed is one reason the Oilers might not sign him. I get all of that. I think signing Cody Franson would be a good transaction for the Edmonton Oilers. We wait.</p>


One year ago, Kris Russell was a free agent trying to find a place to land. The market dried up in a quick hurry and he was left stone alone. Eventually, the Edmonton Oilers came calling and Russell signed a team-friendly one-year deal with the team. Russell was rewarded this summer with a lucrative four-year deal, something that may put the team in good stead this time around. Russell's experience may send a message to free agents in a similar spot: The Oilers are a good place to land.

Cody Franson is a free agent currently and could help a team. Edmonton is a little more settled on the blue line this year and so the match may not work. That said, with Andrej Sekera injured and the Oilers possibly ratcheting up for a Stanley Cup run, a player like Franson, with a reasonable contract, could come in damned handy in 2017-18.
<h1 style="text-align: center">CODY FRANSON 2016-17</h1>
<ul>
 	<li>5×5 points per 60: 0.89 (No.1 among regular Sabres defensemen)</li>
 	<li>PP points per 60: 1.22 (No. 5 among regular Sabres defensemen)</li>
 	<li>Corsi for 5×5 %: 50.8</li>
 	<li>Corsi Rel 5×5 %: +1.8</li>
 	<li>DFF Elite 5×5 %: 50.5</li>
 	<li>DFF Elite Rel 5×5 %: 3.2 (31 percent of TOI v. elites)</li>
 	<li>Shots on goal/percentage: 93 shots/3.2%</li>
 	<li>Boxcars: 68, 3-16-19</li>
 	<li>(All numbers via <a href="http://puckiq.com/teams/BUF">Puck IQ</a>, <a href="https://www.naturalstattrick.com/playerteams.php?season=20162017&amp;stype=2&amp;sit=ev&amp;score=all&amp;stdoi=oi&amp;rate=y&amp;team=BUF&amp;pos=D&amp;loc=B&amp;toi=0&amp;gpfilt=none&amp;fd=&amp;td=&amp;tgp=82&amp;lines=single">Natural Stat Trick</a> and <a href="https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/f/fransco01.html">hockey-reference</a>)</li>
</ul>
The numbers above are all positive, Franson's possession numbers are in the black and he played 31 percent of his 5x5 minutes against top-level opposition. He would give the Oilers another veteran hand, and a reasonable power-play option (although he didn't play much there one year ago) if required.

I fully expect to see Cody Franson sign in Chicago or New York or somewhere in California. I know his foot speed is one reason the Oilers might not sign him. I get all of that. I think signing Cody Franson would be a good transaction for the Edmonton Oilers. We wait.

Cody Franson: Have Gun, Will Travel

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