Eric Francis has a word of warning for hockey fans in search of a Devin Setoguchi comeback story.
“Just because he signed a PTO, doesn’t mean he’s going to play in the National Hockey League.”
The Sportsnet analyst joined Dean Blundell & Co. on Sportsnet 590 The FAN Tuesday morning to share his thoughts on the Toronto Maple Leafs’ decision to bring in the struggling forward for a professional tryout.
“The reason why I write him off is because we saw him here in [Flames] camp last year and it didn’t work from Day One,” said Francis.
Francis is referring to Setoguchi’s poor performance with the Calgary Flames last season. The 28-year-old signed a one-year deal with the Flames but wasn’t able to notch any points in his 12 games with the club before being waived.
“Not only is he not able to score anymore in the NHL, defensively he’s quite a project,” said Francis.
Setoguchi’s NHL career got off to a strong start after being drafted eighth overall by the San Jose Sharks. He registered an impressive 31 goals and 65 points in his second year in the league, but hasn’t been able to come close to those totals since.
“I think it’s a creative attempt to try to resurrect someone’s career and address a need in Toronto,” Francis added, explaining that there’s “no risk” for the Leafs to bring him in for a tryout. “But I just think the odds are so stacked against him.
“The expectations should be kept very low on this one.”
