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Cowen arbitration decision due by early December

Doug Pensinger / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Jared Cowen and the Toronto Maple Leafs won't have to wait much longer for an outcome in their contract squabble.

A decision on the case - currently sitting with an arbitrator - is due by Dec. 7, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

In the offseason, the Maple Leafs attempted to buy out the remainder of Cowen's contract - one year, paying $4.5 million. That move left Cowen's camp to cry foul, claiming the blue-liner is ineligible for a buyout due to an injury he sustained last season.

Cowen originally came to the Maple Leafs in a February deal that sent former captain Dion Phaneuf to the Ottawa Senators, but never suited up for the club.

The arbitrator's decision leaves a lot of money on the line for Cowen. The Maple Leafs would be on the hook for Cowen's entire salary should the arbitrator rule in his favor. At that point, Toronto could place Cowen on the long-term injured reserve to negate the salary cap charge.

However, should the arbitrator side with the Maple Leafs, the team would be freed of Cowen's contract, but would be penalized with a $750,000 cap hit for each of the next two seasons as a means of the buyout.

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