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It was at that moment when Franson’s stick exploded into hundreds of tiny pieces that you had to wonder how much more of this he could take. As much as we talk about the players on this team that need to be traded — and the list includes many — there are some, like Franson, who need to stay.

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The question is why would they want to?

Franson is a pending free agent at the end of the season. And while it would be foolish for the team to trade him or let him walk away for nothing, especially after he emerged as one of its best defencemen and arguably biggest leaders, what’s in it for him?

Ever since he arrived in Toronto along with Matthew Lombardi in a trade from Nashville for Brett Lebda and Robert Slaney in 2011, it has been a stressful ride of ups and mostly downs for the 27-year-old. He has been lowballed on three different one-year contracts. He has suffered through three late-season collapses. And now, in a season that is likely to end with yet another failed attempt at the playoffs, he will probably have a third coach replaced.

For Franson, unrestricted free agency should represent a get-out-of-jail free card to escape this never-ending mess. And yet, as bad as it has been in Toronto, he said he wants to be here for when it finally gets good.

“I want to come back here,” said Franson, who is in the top-15 amongst defencemen with 28 points. “This is a place for me where I’ve always wanted to be. I’d love to be here for a long time and I’d love to win in this city. For me, that’s the end game, to be able to come in here and win. There’s no better place in the league to win than what would be Toronto. That’s my view on it. I’m hopeful that we can make it work.”