When the Maple Leafs shipped Peter Holland to Arizona last week in a trade, his now-former teammate couldn’t have been happier.

Even though he knew he would continue to sit.

“He’s going to be a friend for life,” defenceman Frank Corrado said of Holland, who will face the Leafs on Thursday at the Air Canada Centre. “It was obviously sad for me to see him go, but I’m happy for him that he gets a fresh start with Arizona.”

Both players share a lot in common. Both grew up in the Toronto area and were life-long Leaf fans growing up. During morning skates, both spent a lot of time together, bag-skating after their teammates left the ice, as they prepared to sit up in the press box as healthy scratches.

Holland’s tenure with the Leafs came to an end two weeks ago when he didn’t accompany the team on a road trip. After not playing in more than half of Toronto’s games early this season, Holland made it clear he wanted a change and Leafs GM Lou Lamoriello looked for a deal.

Corrado, meanwhile, is stuck in a situation where he has spent all but one game this season watching the Leafs instead of playing. He is only 23 years old and spent much of last season as a healthy scratch as well.

He worries about his future.

“It’s frustrating now,” Corrado said. “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.”

The Leafs claimed Corrado off waivers from Vancouver days before opening night last season. He then sat out the next two months.

He was frustrated at the time, but he understood that he didn’t have a full training camp with Toronto and that it would take some time for head coach Mike Babcock to get familiar with him. He went to the Marlies on a conditioning assignment. But then, as now, he couldn’t be sent down on a regular basis without having to clear waivers.

Ultimately, he played 39 games last season. He scored one goal and had five assists. He didn’t look out of place in the lineup.

This season, Corrado has been more vocal about his current situation. He hasn’t demanded a trade, but he has made it pretty clear he is unhappy that his season was limited to one game while all of the Leafs other seven defencemen have played at least 16 times.

“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 ten 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.”

Corrado’s situation has made clear that there is a divide between management and the coaching staff.

“I talked to Lou and he’s been supportive with me,” Corrado said. “He told me he likes me, and he wants me here. It does make me feel better about the situation, but at the end of the day, the coach is the one who makes the lineup and if the coach doesn’t like you, then you’re not going to play. And that’s where I’m at right now.”

There is no telling when – or if – Corrado will play another game in a Leafs uniform. But you get the sense he wouldn’t mind following Holland’s lead out of Toronto.

“What can I do really? There’s not much to do. I’m not a PR guy. I’m a hockey player,” Corrado said. “I’ve always played hockey. I just want to play hockey again. So when you don’t play hockey, it’s frustrating and that’s just how it is right now. I feel like I’m sort of in No Man’s Land right now. And it’d be nice to play.”

UPDATE

Following the Maple Leafs 3-2 shootout loss to the Arizona Coyotes, Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock responded to Corrado’s comments.

“I’m disappointed he feels that way. If you think me liking you has anything to do with whether you play or don’t play, you’re missing the boat big time. I love the guys and I’m hoping for all of them that they do well. Whether you go in the lineup or not is based on how you play, period, nothing personal. It becomes personal and it’s just unfortunate that he feels that way. It’s too bad. We talk quite a bit and we’ll talk again. As a young guy he’s frustrated, he had his chance with the media today and that’s life.”