Just because the season is over for the Toronto Maple Leafs, doesn’t mean there isn’t still hockey to be played.
For the Toronto Marlies, a pair of superstars fresh off successful NHL stints in Travis Dermott and Andreas Johnsson will make their respective returns.
It couldn’t come at a better time.
After going up two games to none over the Utica Comets in their first-round playoff series, the series has been blown wide open. As the series shifted to Utica, the Marlies dropped both games three and four by wide margins.
Now, the two teams sit in a dead tie at two games apiece.
In evening the score, the Comets pointed a spotlight directly towards a number of deficiencies permeating the Marlies lineup. Issues that could end their season this Saturday.
Of the players returning, it’s Dermott who stands to help dampen the spotlights unflattering glare the most. In getting their young star back, the Marlies can now extend their season into May.
Here’s how Dermott can help make that happen.
Versatility
Based on numerous conversations with Sheldon Keefe, Dermott’s departure in late January was the hardest for the Marlies to swallow.
In Dermott, Keefe was given a swiss army knife to wield.
Be it on the power play, penalty kill, left side, right side, it didn’t matter. Keefe could out toss his 21-year-old defender with nothing other than full confidence in him exceeding expectations.
I’ve written previously on Keefe’s notorious tendency for putting young players in positions specifically tailored to challenge them. Well, Dermott was no different.
Challenges
For the season’s initial two months, Dermott was deployed in a primarily defensively-focused role.
The youngster would start practically all of his shifts in the defensive zone. He was given no power play time. And, most notably, the left-handed Dermott was thrown out on his off-side. A significant development considering the Leafs lack of RHD options.
As a result, the initial returns were mixed.
Defensively solid without question, Dermott went goalless for the first 20 games of 2017-18. For a young player to experience such a pronounced dry spell and still refuse to waver in his defensive responsibilities is remarkable.
Dermott did just that. And for his resiliency, he mercifully was set free.
Offensive Explosion
In the following seven games prior to leaving for the Leafs, Dermott was unstoppable.
The AHL sophomore poured in 10 points, transforming a struggling Marlies PP while dishing the puck around the ice with ease. All season long, blueline depth has continually proven to be the Marlies greatest strength.
And, Dermott was the largest proponent of that.
Still, despite his early season drought, Dermott ended his sophomore AHL season with 18 points in 28 games to his name, improving in nearly every developmental category. He added an extra step to his already considerable footspeed. He regularly patrolled the offensive zone with NHL confidence.
And most importantly, Demott performed as the lynchpin for the AHL’s top penalty kill.
Game Five
Now, back for Game Five, Dermott is tasked with bolstering a formerly dominant Marlies penalty kill. A unit that currently sits at a terrible 77% through four postseason games.
Outside of Timothy Liljegren, the Marlies had lacked an effective puck-moving option from their back end. In fact, too often did breakouts disintegrate once hitting the neutral zone, an occurrence opposing teams identified as a weakness almost immediately.
In their forward corps, the Marlies harbour a unit of devastating speed. The only thing missing is someone to take advantage of that. Someone to effectively launching them from the D-zone up the ice for odd-man rushes and aggressive zone entries.
In Dermott, they’ve found that someone.
So, if the Marlies hold any shot of winning Game Five, let alone a Calder Cup, they’ll need Dermott to grab the reigns and carry them forward.
Considering what he accomplished in the NHL, there’s no doubt the former-second round pick can do just that.