The Toronto Maple Leafs has signed restricted free agent Martin Marincin to a two-year, $2.5 Million contract avoid next week's salary arbitration hearing. The deal has an AAV of $1.25 Million, $1.2 Million in the 2016-17 season and $1.3 Million in the 2017-18 season.
The 24-year-old defenseman had one goal and six assists in 65 games in his first season with Toronto after being acquired from the Edmonton Oilers last June for a fourth round pick.
With the signing, the Leafs have signed all five of their restricted free agents this off-season, signing forward Josh Leivo and defenseman Connor Carrick to two-year contracts and forward Peter Holland and defenseman Frank Corrado to one-year deals.
Depending on the decision of the arbitrator in the disputed buyout of Jared Cowen, the outcome of the Jimmy Vesey sweepstakes and the expected acquisition of a backup goaltender, the Leafs could have as many as 48 players signed on NHL contracts.
Unless GM Lou Lamoriello has another five-for-one Michael Grabner deal in his back pocket, Toronto will not have much maneuverability at the start of next season and that will be a consideration when it comes to signing college free agents and their own unsigned draft picks.
The Leafs have continued to put into action their organizational plan of being restrained in handing out pro deals and signing as many players as possible to AHL contracts. The club rewarded defenseman Justin Holl with a one-year entry-level contract after a full season with the Toronto Marlies and signed University of Denver winger Trevor Moore to a three-year deal, but has also locked up over a dozen players for next season on minor league deals.
Some players like Shane Conacher(brother of Tampa Bay’s Cory) and Mason (son of Brian)Marchment were added on amateur tryout contracts late last season. Others like veteran Marc-Andre Cliché were brought in as support players with the expected graduation of William Nylander, Nikita Soshnikov, Zach Hyman and Connor Brown to the Leafs.
Rich Clune signed an AHL deal last summer and was upgraded to an NHL deal when the need for toughness necessitated his call up to the Leafs in late October, but the winger was re-signed this summer on a minor league contract.
Colin Smith was acquired in the Shawn Matthias deal with Colorado last February and played well for the Marlies when most of their leading scorers were promoted to the Leafs, but Toronto would only extend an AHL contract with the expiration of his entry-level deal.
Even 2011 draft pick Tony Cameranesi did not garner a professional contract after completing a four-year NCAA stint at Minnesota-Duluth.
Where the limited space on contracts could be a concern is with unsigned 2015 draft choices that play in the CHL. Toronto has first rounder Mitch Marner, second rounder Travis Dermott, third rounder Andrew Nielsen and fifth rounder Dmytro Timashov signed to entry-level contracts.
Fourth rounder Jesper Lindgren is playing in Sweden and the club retains his rights for another three seasons, but second rounder Jeremy Bracco, third rounder Martin Dzierkals, sixth rounder Stephen Desrocher and seventh rounder Nikita Korostelev would go back into the draft if not signed before next June.
Bracco and Dzierkals will likely be important offensive catalysts for Kitchener and Rouyn-Noranda this season and the 20-year-old Desrocher should make the jump to the pros after four OHL seasons and a Memorial Cup.
There will be a great deal of shuffling of the Leafs roster this season, as the club continues their transition. Players with expiring contracts(Brooks Laich, Milan Michalek, Colin Greening, Roman Polak and Matt Hunwick) will likely be moved out as the season approaches the trade deadline.
The Leafs may have to wait until later in the season to create some room to get them signed.
*******If you are interested in sponsorship or advertising your business in the Greater Toronto / Southern Ontario area on this column, please send a message for more information by clicking on the “Contact” button at the top of the page.*******
Note : Continue to check back to my column on Hockeybuzz throughout the day for the latest Leafs updates or on Twitter
KINDLE USERS: Please sign up for Maple Leafs Buzz, which includes a free-of-charge 14-day trial and is just 99 cents per month afterwards. For more information
click here.
Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»