Peter Holland Makes Request to Leafs Before Arbitration

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Peter Holland has requested $2.1 million for the 2016-17 season before his arbitration with the club reported Hockey Night in Canada’s Elliotte Friedman on Saturday. The Maple Leafs have offered Holland $900,000, Friedman reported.

Holland, 25, was placed on waivers by the Maple Leafs on Friday, potentially in a move that could be used as a bargaining tool by the club in the event that Holland clears waivers by 12 pm ET on Saturday. Holland is set for an arbitration hearing with the team in Toronto on Monday.

In his 195 game NHL career, the 6’2″, 194-pound center has tallied 30 goals and 69 points to go with 83 penalty minutes. During the 2015-16 regular season, Holland posted career highs in games played (65) and points (27). Holland was acquired by the Maple Leafs in the middle of the 2013-14 regular season and signed a two-year deal with the club on July 16, 2014.

After signing 2016 1st overall pick Auston Matthews to a three-year entry-level contract on Thursday, Maple Leafs GM Lou Lamoriello has just over $3 million in remaining salary cap space for the 2016-17 season.

On June 21, the NHL and NHL Player’s Association agreed to increase the salary cap to $73 million for the 2016-17 season, after the players decided to utilize their five percent escalator clause. Utilizing this clause allowed for the salary cap to increase $1.6 million from its 2015-16 $71.4 million ceiling.