With Frank Corrado’s July 26th arbitration date looming, details have emerged about what Corrado is asking for, and conversely, what the Leafs are offering.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman has the details:

Doesn’t seem like much of a gap, does it?

Understandably though, the Leafs want to save every penny they can in order to maximize the efficiency of their salary cap management. Conversely, Corrado and his agent want to get the most money possible on a new deal.

It should also be noted, of course, that this is arbitration, and that this is how negotiation works. One side offers the lowest conceivable amount, and the other side offers the highest conceivable amount. The end result is that an agreement is typically made somewhere in the middle.

Hopefully the Leafs and Corrado can come to an agreement before the hearing, as arbitration cases can supposedly get pretty nasty. I mean, it never bodes well for the relationship between a team and a player to air out all their grievances in front of each other to try and save a few extra bucks.

Regardless, Corrado’s cap hit should come in nice and cheap, giving the Leafs a reliable depth defenseman for next season.