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The Toronto Maple Leafs have settled with another RFA short of arbitration, signing 23-year-old defenceman Frank Corrado to a one-year, one-way contract worth $600,000.

Corrado was scheduled for an arbitration hearing tomorrow, with the team asking for $675,000/$150,000 on a two-way contract or $575,000 on a one-way, and Corrado’s camp asking for $900,000. The Leafs bumped up their one-way offer slightly but more or less got Corrado signed at the figure they wanted. He will be a cheap (25k above league minimum) depth option on the blueline heading into camp.

While Corrado’s place on the team is by no means set in stone (he slots as the seventh or eighth defenceman as of today), it would have felt a little wasteful to let Corrado go after last season. The Leafs claimed him from waivers after he missed the cut at training camp in Vancouver before working to mould him within the Babcock system through nearly half a season of exclusively practice work before he saw any game action.

After the team used up the maximum allowable conditioning stint with the Marlies, Corrado’s first game with the big club came in mid December. He went on to play 39 times for the Leafs, which is more NHL starts than the Toronto native had managed in three previous seasons. Babcock only trusted Corrado with about 14:30 of ice time a night, but he put up six points in 39 games, and his possession numbers were promising in his 500-minute even-strength sample last season (54.8% CF). His partners changed frequently, but his most common partner was Jake Gardiner (195 minutes).

He arguably doesn’t have one standout skill in his repertoire and his skating is a weakness, but he will provide a right-handed option who can play a shift in the NHL, and he may have room to grow still as a 23 year old. Corrado looked uncomfortable at times when asked to play the left side as a right hander, but he may need to be versatile in order to stick around.

Corrado would require waivers to join the Marlies if he doesn’t make the roster out of camp, but his near-league minimum cap hit is conducive to keeping him up with the big club.

The Leafs have only defenceman Martin Marincin remaining on their RFA list. His arbitration hearing is scheduled for August 2nd.

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