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Cody Franson out 2-3 weeks with bone bruise in foot

Josh Cooper
NEWARK, NJ - FEBRUARY 06: Cody Franson #6 of the Buffalo Sabres plays the puck against the New Jersey Devils during the game at Prudential Center on February 6, 2017 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Andy Marlin/NHLI via Getty Images)
Cody Franson of the Buffalo Sabres plays the puck against the New Jersey Devils during the game at Prudential Center on February 6, 2017 in Newark, New Jersey. (Getty Images)

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Cody Franson will miss the next two-to-three weeks with a bone bruise in his foot, coach Dan Bylsma said.

Franson was injured when he blocked a shot Thursday in a 5-2 loss to the Anaheim Ducks. The 29-year-old Franson has 16 points in 51 games this season with the Sabres while averaging 18:51 of ice-time per-game. He also holds a plus-6.49 adjusted 5-on-5 CF% Rel. In 110 games with Buffalo, Franson has 33 points.

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Franson has struggled to rediscover his game since a 2015 trade to the Nashville Predators. Leading up to that deal he had 32 points in 55 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs and was slated to be an unrestricted free agent that offseason where it seemed likely he would cash in. Earlier in the season, Franson reportedly turned down a multi-year contract worth $4.6 million per-season with Toronto. With Nashville he had four points in 23 games and settled on a two-year $6.65 million contract with the Sabres shortly before the start of 2015-16 season.

Based on Bylsma’s timeline, Franson will return around the NHL trade deadline. It’s unclear whether Buffalo will look to keep Franson past that date, based on his age, contract and whether the Sabres see themselves as a playoff contender. The Sabres rank third-to-last in the Eastern Conference, but are just five points behind the Toronto Maple Leafs for the final Wild Card spot.

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If Buffalo looks to sell, then dealing Franson for younger, longer-term assets would make sense. If they want to make a run at the playoffs, he has shown the ability to play decent all-around minutes.

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Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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