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Toronto Maple Leafs: Martin Marincin Should Be Part Of The Plan

By Matthew Rodrigopulle

Dec 3, 2016; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Martin Marincin (52) warms up against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena. The Vancouver Canucks won 3-2 in a shoot out. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 3, 2016; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Martin Marincin (52) warms up against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena. The Vancouver Canucks won 3-2 in a shoot out. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Toronto Maple Leafs are coming off a red-hot win against the Detroit Red Wings, a game top defenceman Morgan Rielly missed due to a leg injury.

Despite the absence of Morgan Rielly, the Toronto Maple Leafs were able to fill the defensive hole he left with the return of Martin Marincin.

Marincin had been injured since Dec. 10 with a lower body injury, which resulted in him having to miss 17 games. The Leafs seemed to have no real issue filling the hole he left, however the recent loss of Rielly caused a major lineup hole that needed to be addressed. Luckily, Marincin was able to return to the Leafs lineup in spite of Rielly’s injury, and really get the proper minutes he had been missing out on.

Although he looked a little shaky at first in his return against the Senators on Saturday, Marincin soon picked up his play after being absent for over a month. His performance and stature with this young team made me believe that Marincin could have a rightful spot in the Leafs plan for the future.

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Marincin’s Strengths

I think it is safe to say that Martin Marincin is quite the skillful defenceman. Although he has only played 19 games this season due to the aforementioned injury, he still has been able to put up a good 7 points in this time and currently has a +/- of 3. Marincin also has a CF% of about 51% playing on a Leafs team averaging about 50 CF%. These are fairly good numbers for a player expected to play on either the second or third defensive pairing.

Another strength of Marincin’s in particular is his ability to be utilized on the penalty kill. Marincin has been an important player for the Leafs on the penalty kill in the games he played before his injury, averaging just under three minutes a game while Toronto was shorthanded. This is a crucial benefit for the Leafs. Having a few defenseman who can effectively kill off penalties will be more than useful in key situations.

Overall, Marincin plays a stable game in which he holds down the blue line well. He is not very flashy, has a fantastic reach, and he often makes smart plays. He is a player who is perfect for a team’s third defensive pair because he can also slot in the second pair if needed.

Marincin’s Future with the Leafs

Honestly, I think Toronto should utilize Marincin as much as they can during this rebuild. I’m not saying Marincin should particularly be a long-term piece for this team, but I believe using him for a few more years as the team continues to build would be more than beneficial, at least until some more defensive prospects are ready to make the jump..

Looking at the Leafs roster for the future, there are some areas that may be open for Marincin’s taking. Two defenceman that are quite a concern right now for the Leafs are Matt Hunwick and Roman Polak. Both of these players’ performances this season have been subpar. Both of these players are also UFA’s at the end of this season.

The chances of Hunwick and Polak getting resigned by Toronto are very slim.  Especially with defensive prospects like Travis Dermott and Andrew Nielsen progressing, there has to be room available for them, most likely at the cost of two vets.

As of now, with a healthy Morgan Rielly, the Leafs defensive core looks something like this:

Rielly-Zaitsev

Gardiner-Carrick

Hunwick-Polak

Extra: Marincin/Corrado

If Hunwick and Polak are eliminated, which is highly likely through either trade or free agency, Marincin and Corrado (who has been waiting to be freed) can easily take up the third pairing.

Rielly-Zaitsev

Gardiner-Carrick

Marincin-Corrado

Extra: Loov/Valiev

Marincin and Corrado both would be perfect in third-pairing roles, as they could also move up to the second pair if need be. They would also likely play out until Dermott, Nielsen, or any other defensive prospects waiting to bloom are ready to join the main club.

Contract Talks

Now without getting ahead of ourselves, if Marincin is going to be a part of the future, what will his contract situation look like?

Well in two years when his current deal is up, Marincin should be looking at another deal that will extend him for another 2-3 years. This length is perfect for the Leafs. It will keep Marincin in Toronto during these next few key building years. The Leafs may be a competitive force by then, but if this is the case, I think Marincin would still be a good fit to effectively hold down a third pairing role. If and when younger prospects are ready to come up and take his place, he will have an attractive contract that can be flipped for other pieces not too difficultly.

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The main issue surrounding keeping Marincin in Toronto is the upcoming expansion draft. For a bottom-feeding Las Vegas team looking to scoop up young and talented players, Marincin will seem quite attractive.

The Leafs will have to decide between protecting him or Connor Carrick. This will be a tough decision, but if it happens to be Marincin who remains with the Leafs, a permanent place on the blue-line could be in his future.

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