To Cody Franson, A letter from the #FransonWatch Front

To: Cody Franson

Re: Free Agency

Hello there! My name is Sky, a representative of Stanley Cup of Chowder, a Boston Bruins blog on SBNation.com, and we are formally inviting you to ask, no, demand that, no, scream at your agent to pick up the phone and ask for at least a two or three year deal with the original six hockey club, the Boston Bruins!

Through intentional design, unintentional mistakes, or genuine ignorance, we now have several gaping holes on our blue line a player like you could fill quite nicely. Your ability to stay high above water when it comes to offensive pressure and actually leave the defensive zone is PERFECT for a team that has a need of players that have both the experience and skill set of someone like you! And if you play your cards right and negotiate carefully, you can help those up and comers from the farm system take over the blue line and usher in a brand new wave of physical, puck hogging Boston defense!

We know that the idea of a possible return to Toronto is tempting. Intoxicating, even. Maybe Jim Benning sent you an email through a fax machine your agent swore to you never worked in the first place to come home to BC! Wouldn’t that be something? All we ask is REALLY consider the market, and then consider our offer: The few bright spots of Toronto just got traded for picks and prospects, and they weren’t willing to give you any more than two years of a contract at most! If you return, who’s to say you aren’t just gonna be shortchanged again? To play on a team where you’re trying to drag the entire defensive corps back out of the hell it built for itself?And Vancouver? They just committed to Brandon Sutter. And kicked out a good portion of their bright spots that aren't horrifying Swedish martians. Do you seriously want to have to fight for a roster spot against Brandon Sutter? Of course not. You don’t want that for you. We don’t want that for you. We want you to succeed, and that’s why we think you should come to Boston. You will succeed, Mr. Franson.

The Bruins LOVE defenseman. They love defense! The best player that EVER played for them was a defenseman! It’s what’s most important to winning championships, after all. And everyone in Boston believes that! Yes, everyone who has interest in the Boston Bruins unequivocally believes that defense is the most important part of playing a hockey game. From the heavily accented fan from Fall River spilling coors light on a kid four rows down from him, to the blogger who’s adjusting his glasses and pocket protectors and not watching the game in a haughty manner, to the very president of the organization! And thanks to some of the moves made over the summer, we now have plenty of money and space to put a guy like you on our NHL roster for a very long time!

And we do mean "a long time", Mr. Franson. See, we here in Boston like getting attached to our players. In the past, we the fans would watch and cheer as players were both paid a lot of money and told they were committed to Boston for a whole lot of years, especially right after we won the Stanley Cup! Players like Patrice Bergeron, Zdeno Chara, Brad Marchand, Dennis Seidenberg, and Chris Kelly! And if you’re worried about the new management not giving you the same benefits, don’t be! We just added Matt Beleskey coming off the best year of his life play-wise to that list of players! And he’s got that No Trade Clause for almost half of his long, long contract! And if you’re worried about the minutes you’ll be playing, don’t worry about that either. Our dear GM extended a player that is such a team player, he’ll frequently get himself injured so that his teammates can fill in and feel what it’s like to be a second pairing defender for a few months! And he’ll probably do this every year! Won’t that be something? Heck, if you’re good enough, you might actually end up second pairing defense on opening night anyway!

And it’s not just playing for one of the most respected and the team full of young fresh talent that will be inevitably traded you get to play with, you get to take part in one of the most fanatical, passionate, and definitely-not-like-a-jealous-ex-if-you-decide-to-leave fanbases you could ever ask for. We'll actually recognize you in the street! We'll ask for autographs! We won't laugh and say that hockey is "for them damn kweebeckers up in canadia" that I'm sure you heard in Nashville! And opening night in Boston is great! Sometimes they play to cultural stereotypes heritage of the area and break out the bagpipes! We’ll come up with chants and clever T-shirts involving YOUR name!

…The T-shirts won’t be sold inside the Garden, but they WILL be sold!

And, and this is the best part of signing this year…You get to take part in one of the leagues most respected, resplendent and definitely only interesting outdoor game, the Winter Classic in scenic Foxborough, Massachusetts!

Brings a tear to my eye every time I see it.

Like the Stanley Cup, The USS Constitution with it's American flag flying, and a framed picture of Mike Milbury and Don Cherry in a black and gold checkered suit high-fiving as they bury a skill player in road salt in front of a sobbing Islanders fan I have hanging in my den.

I know that you must be a little skeptical about all this. Your time in Nashville wasn't great and you were lambasted for not being the guy they wanted in spite of being a pretty reasonable player. You got burned, and you feel jipped, and we understand that. But think of the possibilities, man. You could be playing with some of the best coaching staff, young talent, and prospects that can be offered to you in a reasonable way. You'll definitely have a chance to spread your wings and really show your stuff on a team that won't be losing 80% of it's games in the second half of the year, and with the Bruins cap space, it's pretty clear you'll be paid reasonably well for your time. And that will be quite a bit of your time.

Just think about it, alright? We envision big things for you.

And they are in Black and Gold.

Yours truly,

Stanley Cup of Chowder