Leafs re-sign Marincin to one year extension

The Martin Marincin era isn’t over yet folks!

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced that they have re-signed the 27 year old defenseman to a one year, $700k contract extension today, along with the official announcement of re-signing Michael Hutchinson.

The left shot blueliner will now enter his fifth season in the Toronto Maple Leaf organization, after being acquired from the Edmonton Oilers in 2015 for Brad Ross and a fourth round pick.

In his four years with the Leafs, he’s suited up for 116 games with three goals and 19 points during that span.

However, he’s not known for his scoring, and is better recognized for his underlying numbers. In the three seasons where he actually played a decent amount (so not including 2017-18), he posted 5v5 CF% of 52.68, 50.3, and 52.71, while also seeing improvement in his xGF%, with a 49.52, 51.9, and 53.82.

He’s also highly credited for his ability to deny zone entries, although this season saw a drastic drop in that category. However, I’d attribute that more to his inconsistent playing time more than his skill.

All in all, this is a solid depth signing. It’s cheap, and while this season wasn’t the best for Marincin, I’d imagine being in a bit of a bigger role this season will hopefully help him get more comfortable this season. And if worst comes to worst, it’s only a one year deal so they can easily say goodbye to him.

But, Dubas saw something in him when he acquired him as an interim GM in 2015, and even kept him on the team last season, so let’s hope Marincin can get a bit more consistent and be a solid contribution to the blueline.