[link_box id=”22277″ site_id=”17″ layout=”link-box-third” alignment=”alignright”]NHL teams carrying extra depth players who check in and out of lineups isn’t something new. But, when those players don’t play in any games and are stuck in no man’s land with their team not wanting to send them to the AHL for fear of being claimed on waivers, it becomes a problem.
Take Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Frank Corrado. The 23-year-old defenseman has appeared in one game with the Leafs this season, getting scratched routinely. Corrado isn’t a top-pairing defenseman, but considering the train wreck D-corps Toronto has put out on a nightly basis (Roman Polak and Matt Hunwick), it’s incredible Corrado hasn’t at least seen a handful more games.
Corrado expressed his frustration with his lack of playing time to David Alter of The Athletic Toronto.
“When you don’t get to play for a month and a half, and you’ve played in one game all year, it takes its toll on you mentally … Yeah, you’re in the NHL. It’s not that the novelty has worn off; it’s just that it’s time to play. It’s time to have a career. I feel like the more I’m not playing, that’s food off my table. That’s kind of the way I see it right now.”
Corrado compared his situation to that of recently traded Peter Holland, who was dealt after demanding a trade and failing to regularly draw into the Leafs’ lineup.
“Everyone on our back end gets a chance to play except me,” Corrado said. “I’d love to play. I had a good camp. I put on 10 pounds in the summer. I sacrificed a lot to earn a job here when there might not have been one for me. I’m sure Holly’s situation was similar in ways, but for me, it’s really frustrating right now.”
Babcock on Corrado: "I'm disappointed he feels that way." Says him not playing has nothing to do with not liking him. Not personal.
— James Mirtle (@mirtle) December 16, 2016
Corrado’s situation is odd. There’s a good chance he’s better than nearly half the defenseman on the Leafs roster, yet, he hasn’t been given a sniff of ice time. That’s tough. He wants (and probably deserves) to be a full-time NHLer.
In situations like his, it’s best to either attempt to send him to the minors so he can actually play, or cut him loose. Benching him for all but one game is cruel. Corrado deserves better.
[theScore]
