Toronto Maple Leafs Sign Surprisingly Effective Defenseman to Contract Extension

The Toronto Maple Leafs have put another piece of their defensive puzzle in place for the 2020-2021 season.

Just over a week after inking Justin Holl to a three-year contract extension, the Toronto Maple Leafs have signed Martin Marincin to a one-year deal worth $700,000 against the cap.

If you are keeping track, that is now three defensemen that the Leafs have signed for next season. (Along with Holl and Morgan Rielly).

Marincin, 27, is hardly a fan favorite because of his limited puck skills and how he looks while playing. He’s a useful player, though.

He has a good stick, is generally in the right position, and his defensive numbers are quite strong.

Toronto Maple Leafs Re-Sign Marincin

Since the beginning of the 2018-19 campaign, 11 Toronto Maple Leafs defenders have logged at least 300 minutes of ice at 5v5.

Marincin has fared better than all of them at suppressing Grade A chances (8.84 against per 60) and Expected Goals (2.07 against per 60).

He ranks last in offensive zone faceoffs per 60, too, so it’s not like his strong defensive numbers are the byproduct of being spoon-fed ice time at the opposite end of the rink.

Marincin may not be easy on the eye, or remotely dynamic in the offensive zone, but the guy can defend. Not just at 5v5, but on the penalty kill.

Over the same period of time (2018-20), Marincin again sits 1st among Leafs blueliners in Grade A chances and Expected Goals Against per 60 minutes while shorthanded.

The Toronto Maple Leafs give up just 9.3 Grade A looks per 60 with Marincin on the ice, which is well below that of the next closest player (Jake Muzzin with 13.71).

Marincin can defend and has played well over 200 games in the NHL. You’re simply not going to find a better alternative for league-minimum, and the Leafs don’t have the money to do anything but bargain bin shopping.

He may not be a popular player, but his numbers are rock-solid.

The Leafs are projected to have less than $14 million in cap space with Muzzin, Tyson Barrie and Travis Dermott headlining a list of 10 players in need of new contracts for next season.

numbers via NaturalStatTrick.com

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I think this was a good bit of business for Toronto Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas, who has shown great aptitude in selecting depth players that can help his team.

The Leafs currently have ten players on their team making less than one million dollars, and we’ve seen how effective this can be while the team has dealt with recent injuries to players like Johnson, Muzzin and Moore.

By signing Marincin, the Leafs are on the path to setting themselves up to have similar depth next season.