You can disagree all you want, but that doesn't change the fact it is true. Franzen gets hot for 15-25 games every year and score 50% or more of his goals in that time frame. the rest of the year he just floats around the ice like he doesn't even care. yes when hot he is one of the best around. But on the other hand, this a guy who after 8 + seasons has never had a single 60 point season. What was he lat=st year? 96th overall in scoring IIRC. I understand that scoring comes and goes. Most scorers are streaky. But that does not excuse the lake of hustle, skating hard, checking, and playing D the rest of the time. When hot Franzen does all of thsoe things. When he isn't he does none of them.
Listen, it's no secret I do not like Franzen...you point out he has never topped 60 points. Considering his cap hit of $3.9M, 60 points is on point for that salary. BUT, Franzen, for some reason, is always consider our BEST scorer, our sniper, our go to guy. He is not. He is a 2nd or 3rd line center benefiting by playing with IMO the best player in the NHL in Datsyuk. If I can accept Franzen for what he is, then you can too.
The problem is, he is expected to be all I described because we don't have any of those...We don't have a BEST scorer on the team, or a sniper or the go to guy. Datsyuk is the go to guy, but mostly for making plays, he needs the #1 Sniper/Scorer/Go To Guy to score the goals... If playing with Datsyuk, Franzen still cannot top 60 points, there is no way he should be even considered as a #1 scorer here and at $3.9M, he shouldn't be by any of us...
Is he lazy? Yes...is the contract too long? Yes...Would I still shop him around? Absolutely! But if Holland gets his #1 man to play with Datsyuk and pop in 40-50 goals, Franzen can go back to being secondary scoring and when he nets his 50-60 points, nobody will complain anymore...ok, well, some will, probably me, but at least he won't be expected to be our "Sniper" anymore and by only putting in 55 points on the 2nd or 3rd line, maybe he won't seem so lazy anymore...who knows, with the pressure off a bit, maybe he'll top 30 goals and start having fun again...
Franzen at 60 points @ $3.9M is good
Franzen at 60 points @ $7.5M
Take him for what he is...he is not a sniper, he is not getting paid like a sniper, this team NEEDS a real sniper, and it seems like they willing to throw out $8M or more to get one! Fingers crossed...get er done Kenny! Get er Done!
