How does Babcock's hiring impact Kessel, Phaneuf, Franson?
With Mike Babcock in the fold in Toronto, it's looking like a possibility that the Maple Leafs' seemingly inevitable roster blowup might not be a blowup after all.
At the start of the offseason, it seemed to be a foregone conclusion that captain Dion Phaneuf and Phil Kessel -- the media whipping boys throughout the team's disastrous season -- would be traded, even if that required the Leafs picking up a chunk of their rather-large contracts. But Babcock praised the 30-year-old Phaneuf at his introductory press conference last week, saying he's a fan of the defenseman's game and work ethic.
While there were no similar comments about Kessel, a winger with his level of goal-scoring talent isn't easily replaceable (hence the $8 million-a-year contract), so there's been speculation that Brendan Shanahan and the Leafs' front office will give Babcock and Kessel some time together to see how it works ... especially with Kessel's trade value at an all-time low. While Kessel has had many things said about him in Toronto, he has the support of at least one former coach in John Tortorella, who recently called Kessel "terrific" and "one hell of a player."
Meanwhile, former Maple Leafs defenseman Cody Franson has reportedly expressed interest in returning to Toronto as an unrestricted free agent after being traded to the Predators in February. According to SportsNet, that interest is due primarily to Babcock's hiring.
Considering that the Leafs could use the upgrade on the blue line and that the 27-year-old Franson will be one of the top defensemen available in free agency, likely commanding upwards of $5 million a year, it's a reunion that would make some sense. There will be competition for his services, though, given the lack of other high-end blueliners available; The Hockey News cites the Canucks and Oilers as other teams expected to be in the mix.
So, perhaps somewhat ironically, the Leafs' roster going into next season could look quite a bit like it did going into last season, which would make for a very interest test of Babcock's coaching ability and the Toronto fans' support of players such as Kessel who had fallen out of favor.
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