24 NHL players have elected to file for salary arbitration this summer and according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston Maple Leafs forward Peter Holland and defensemen Frank Corrado and Martin Marincin are among that group.
The 25-year-old forward in the final year of a two-year, $1.55 Million contract scored nine goals and 18 assists in 65 games for the Leafs, as head coach Mike Babcock shifted Holland from center to the wing at times last season.
Interested in supporting the HockeyBuzzcast? Make a pledge here: https://t.co/hCZAQzNii9 #Leafs #NHL
— Michael Augello (@MikeInBuffalo) July 1, 2016
Marincin was acquired from Edmonton in June 2015 and played mostly on the bottom pairing until the trade deadline, when he was paired with Morgan Rielly. The 24-year-old had one goal, six assists and 34 penalty minutes in 65 games.
Corrado was claimed off of waivers from the Vancouver Canucks just prior to the start of the regular season, but did not see regular playing time until February, when the Leafs traded veteran defensemen Roman Polak and Dion Phaneuf. In 39 games, the 23-year-old Toronto native had one goal and five assists.
The Leafs and player's representatives will each submit an amount and a hearing will be held during the summer, after which the arbitrator will make a decision on the player's salary for the upcoming season.
Both sides are free to continue to negotiate and come up with a compromise up until the arbitrator's decision is reached. Afterward, if the club does not agree with the amount, they can walk away from the award and the player becomes an unrestricted free agent, which is what happened with former Leaf Clarke MacArthur in 2010.
Someone getting into mischief in Niagara Falls at Day 2 of Development Camp. Who's going to clean this up? #Leafs pic.twitter.com/cVElDHg5Lm
— Michael Augello (@MikeInBuffalo) July 5, 2016
One additional option that the three filings gives Toronto is a second buyout window. Even if the club and players reach an agreement, the fact that a player opted for salary arbitration activates a second opportunity to buyout a player on their roster after all players have had their hearings(usually in the beginning of August).
The Leafs already exercised this option on Jared Cowen, but the buyout of the final year of the defenseman's four-year, $12.4 Million contract is under review, since Cowen claims to have been injured when it took place.
*******
The Maple Leafs continued the process of locking up veterans for the Toronto Marlies, as the club announced the signing of forward Rich Clune to a one-year AHL contract.
The 29-year-old Clune agreed to an AHL deal last summer after being bought out by the Nashville Predators, but was signed to an NHL contract and called up by the Leafs in October. The Toronto native had four assists in 19 NHL games and eight goals, 16 assists and 146 penalty minutes in 49 games for the Marlies last season.
Clune was an important part of the AHL affiliates leadership group and provided protection for a number of the Marlies young forwards.
The club has signed three forwards (Colin Smith, Marc-Andre Cliche and Clune) to AHL contracts in recent days, reserving space under the 50-man pro contract limit for younger players.
That fact may have been a factor in the decision of defenseman TJ Brennan signing a multi-year deal with the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday.
The 27-year-old two-time winner of the Eddie Shore Award for the AHL's outstanding defenseman was reportedly considering an offer from the KHL and perhaps some interest from Toronto, but opted to sign a one-way NHL contract with the club closest to his hometown in Southern New Jersey.
*******
Listen to the final edition of "The Convo" with myself and CTV's Norman James for this hockey year. Thanks to all who have listened and we will be back if any news happens in Leafs land during the summer and return on a regular basis in September:
*******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 Follow @mikeinbuffalo 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.