Boston Bruins: Who Should The B’s Invite To Camp
The Boston Bruins are still on the list of teams trying to acquire the services of Cody Franson. (It looks the deal with the Buffalo Sabres is more smoke and mirrors than an actual contract.) While the Bruins are willing to discuss terms, Franson wants a long term deal, and the Bruins aren’t willing to give him anything longer than a two year deal.
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Franson may not be what the Bruins need right now. The Bruins need a forward thinking, fast defenseman. While Franson is a very offensive-minded blueliner, his speed is lacking. The Bruins need someone with Dougie Hamilton‘s hands and Daniel Paille‘s speed. The B’s also need to test the mettle of their young prospects. But if the prospects don’t seem to please the front office, the B’s may have to give the veteran free agent another look.
Franson could end up with a Professional Try-Out (PTO). While the PTO is normally only used in the AHL, any veteran player can be signed to a PTO while they’re trying to get a job with a NHL club. While Franson could be on the PTO list, there are several other players who could end up getting a second look from Cam Neely, Don Sweeney, and company.
The Bruins are already heading back to Boston. Zdeno Chara will likely be calling his first captain’s practice with the next week or so. Those practices will be informal, and local veteran players without contracts will likely be joining the Bruins so they can stay in competitive shape. Former Bruins like Michael Ryder and Daniel Paille could be in Boston to practice with the Bruins organization. Other potential free agents like Marek Zidlicky could be heading up north to test their luck in getting a contract.
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PTOs have been a gateway to contracts in the past. In the last few seasons, both Jay Pandolfo and Simon Gagne were able to turn a tryout into a job. It even helped Pandolfo get a coaching job with the Bruins organization. If the Bruins don’t think they’ve got the right combination of players (especially on the blueline), then the organization will have an open casting call to find the right players.