Report: Blackhawks sign Franson to tryout deal

Cody Franson will apparently have a shot at cracking the Chicago Blackhawks' opening-night roster.

The veteran defenseman agreed to a professional tryout contract with the club, a source confirmed Thursday to Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times, as first reported by freelancer Dhiren Mahiban.

Franson had one-year offers elsewhere, decided on PTO with #Blackhawks... https://t.co/yGnn7OvyVQ

- Dhiren Mahiban (@dcmahiban) September 7, 2017

Franson was one of the better unrestricted free agents still available, and while there's no guarantee he sticks in the Windy City, he would help solidify the team's back end.

The Blackhawks traded Niklas Hjalmarsson to the Arizona Coyotes, let Johnny Oduya walk, and Brian Campbell retired in mid-July.

Franson spent the last two seasons with the Buffalo Sabres. He began his NHL career with the Nashville Predators, one of the Blackhawks' biggest Central Division rivals, and also played parts of four seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

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