Cody Franson previously played for the Toronto Maple Leafs for parts of four seasons (2011/12 – 2014/15) before being traded back to the Predators (the team they got him from) as part of the tear-down two years ago.
During his time in Toronto, Franson was an unheralded, but excellent player. He doesn’t score 40 points, he isn’t flashy, and he doesn’t appear to use his size (he is 6’5, 240 lbs) so people do not think he’s very good. He also appears to be slow, and, like Jake Gardiner, he got blamed for seemingly every mistake he made.