After declining several contract offers from other teams, and only attending camp on a professional try-out in preseason, the Chicago Blackhawks signed defenceman Cody Franson. He and the Blackhawks made it official earlier today.

Welcome aboard! The #Blackhawks have signed defenseman Cody Franson to a one-year contract that runs through the 2017-18 season. pic.twitter.com/YbbuRBqyhg

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) October 4, 2017

Chicago Blackhawks Sign Cody Franson

The Chicago Blackhawks finally signed Franson to a one-year deal, reported to be worth $1 million. This only happened after the NHL ruled yesterday that the Hawks would be allowed to put Marian Hossa on Long Term Injured Reserve. Because of the Hossa move and cap relief it created, the Blackhawks signed Cody Franson almost immediately.

Franson joins six others on the Hawks backline: Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Connor Murphy, Michal Kempny, Jordan Osterle, and Jan Rutta. The Hawks also recalled Gustav Forsling from the AHL, with the extra cap space provided by the Hossa ruling. The Hawks will begin the season carrying eight defensemen. They also recalled forward Alex DeBrincat.

For more details on the Blackhawks contract with Franson, check out this piece from Satchel Price of SB Nation.

Franson’s background

Franson was originally drafted by the Nashville Predators in 2005. Over the course of his eight year career in the NHL, Franson played in 527 games and scored 205 points. He played for the Nashville Predators (2009-11, 2015), Toronto Maple Leafs (2011-2015) and Buffalo Sabres (2015-17). He reached a high point in assists (29) and points (36) during the 2014-15 season when he split time with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Nashville Predators. Recently, he recorded three goals and sixteen assists in 68 games with the Sabres last season.

Blackhawks Defense

The Blackhawks will need Franson to help solidify their defense in the season ahead. Including fixtures Keith and Seabrook, the defense has many new players who will likely have multiple partners as they settle into their roles. In the end, head coach Joel Quenneville and defense coach Ulf Samuelsson will try to mould this group into a top defense corp in the weeks ahead.

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