At 21, Travis Dermott is the youngest defenseman on the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Dermott is likely to start as a third pairing defenseman for the Toronto Maple Leafs this year. After flipping between the Leafs and the Toronto Marlies last year, Dermott has the opportunity to earn a permanent spot, and a lengthy contract, with the Leafs.
For anyone who has seen Dermott play you know he is a smart d-man with exceptional speed and play-making ability. With the Leafs’ defense a topic of conversation, Dermott should provide stability at the blue line with a chance for a larger role in the future.
With three years of OHL, two years with the Marlies, and over 30 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Dermott should be prepared for the expanded role he is going to have this season.
Player Profile: Travis Dermott
Dermott began his path to the NHL with the Newmarket Hurricanes in the OJHL. Playing in 53 games, he supplied 1 goal and 14 assists. Dermott won the OJHL Fan Favourite Award while also being named Second Team All-Prospect.
Erie Otters, 2013-2015
Drafted by the Erie Otters in the 9th round of the 2012 OHL Priority Selection Draft, Dermott contributed 3 goals and 25 assists in 67 games in his first season. His performance earned him a spot on the OHL’s First All-Rookie Team.
In the playoffs, Dermott had 5 assists in 15 games as the Otters were eliminated in the Western Conference Finals by the Guelph Storm in 5 games.
His second season with the Otters saw his point total rise. 8 goals and 37 assists, which was enough to be named to the OHL’s Second All-Star Team.
Dermott showed improvement in the playoffs, this time scoring 5 goals and 12 assists, helping the Otters to the OHL Finals. They would lose in 5 games to the Oshawa Generals
2015 NHL Entry Draft
Dermott was then selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second round (34th overall) in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.
Back to the Otters
Dermott spent one more season with Erie after the draft. Now an alternate captain, he played in 51 games, fewer than his previous two seasons, but still racked up 43 points.
His playoffs were successful statistically with 14 points in 13 games, unfortunately it was not enough as the Otters were swept in the Western Conference Finals by the London Knights.
2016 World Junior Championship
Dermott was named to Canada’s roster for the 2016 WJC in Helsinki. He played 5 games adding two assists. Canada advanced to the playoff round, but were eliminated in the quarterfinal by host nation, and eventual tournament winner, Finland.
Toronto Marlies 2015-2017
Dermott was called up to the Marlies after the Otters’ season had ended. He played one game for the Marlies before they were eliminated in the Eastern Conference Finals by the Hershey Bears.
His first full season with the Marlies came in 2016-17, playing 59 games and 24 points.
Helping the Marlies make the postseason, Dermott played 11 games and contributed 5 points as Marlies were eliminated in 7 games by the Syracuse Crunch in the Division Final.
The next year, Dermott played in 28 games, adding 18 more points until his call up to the Leafs.
Toronto Maple Leafs 2018
Dermott was called up to the Maple Leafs in January 2018, making his NHL debut and scoring his first point against the Vancouver Canucks, Dermott would play 37 games for the Leafs, averaging 16 minutes, putting up 13 points, 48 hits, 36 blocked shots and a relative Corsi of 6.1%.
The Leafs also kept Dermott on the team for the series against the Boston Bruins, where he scored a goal in game 7.
Calder Cup Champiom
The Leafs sent Dermott back to the Marlies after game 7 to help the Marlies in their quest for the Calder Cup. He played in 14 games, scoring 4 points including a short-handed goal, helping the Marlies to their first Calder Cup in team history.
2018-2019?
Dermott has shown he can compete. His strong play in the OHL and AHL shows us he can hang, and his time with the Leafs last year blew away even the most optimistic expectations. Come October 3rd Dermott will probably be starting on the third pair with Connor Carrick, and if he has a breakout season, he could compete for a spot on the second pair next year.
Statistics courtesy of hockeyreference.com, marlies.ca, and eliteprospects.com