As the Maple Leafs go down the list of their free agency needs, they took a closer look at their blue line and signed defenseman Martin Marincin to a one-year, $700,000 extension on Saturday.
The 6-foot-5, 213-pound blueliner signed with Toronto in 2015 after two unsuccessful campaigns in Edmonton. While he's been a long-serving depth defenseman for Toronto, having played for both the Leafs and their AHL-affiliate Marlies, he's seen his fair share of struggles and hasn't yet proven his potential.
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In just 24 games last season, Marincin registered one goal, five points and a minus-4 rating. He couldn't quite find his footing or compete to earn a spot in the Leafs' deep defensive corps but would occasionally slot in on the bottom-pairing, averaging just about 15 minutes per night.
However, this new deal may be an indication that things will change for the 27-year-old. Toronto may have to make sacrifices on defense to keep Mitch Marner, who will require a majority of their cap space, such as letting unrestricted free agent Jake Gardiner walk and potentially following through on Nikita Zaitsev's trade request to open up more salary.
That's where Marincin comes into play, given another chance and more opportunity he may be able to rebound and truly prove his worth this time around. Especially if he can stay healthy and also get his game back up to the highest level. If he makes more use of his frame, increases his physicality and intensity and is more cautious with the puck, he can surely be a lock in on the bottom-pairing as the Leafs will look for him to step up.