Toronto Maple Leafs: Top Pairing Looms For Travis Dermott

Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Travis Dermott will play against Washington.

The Toronto Maple Leafs finally catch a break into what seems to be a never-ending nightmare of an October, Travis Dermott will return to the line-up tonight.

Dermott, who sustained a shoulder injury and underwent surgery, skated for the first time with the Leafs on October the third and has now been cleared by the medical staff to play against Washington tonight.

For Kevin Gravel, it would seem his stint with the Toronto Maple Leafs is over.

For the defensively struggling Toronto Maple Leafs, Dermott’s return comes at the perfect time, a lifeline for Babcock if you will.

Expected pairings vs Washington

During the Toronto Maple Leafs practice yesterday morning, Dermott was on the third pairing with Justin Holl, which likely will be his partner on the third-pairing tonight.

While that might seem disappointing, it’s actually quite logical. Dermott hasn’t played for six months and it’s to be expected there’s some level of rustiness to his game. Adding that while his physical presence has been missed on the Toronto Maple Leafs blue-line, he’s not suddenly this teams savior

Expect Dermott to be sheltered in minutes tonight. Everyone minute he plays tonight is a win for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Dermott himself.

For tonight it’s unlikely there will be any changes in the top-four defenseman, however, that might not be for very long.

Top-pairing looms for Dermott

After an adjusting period, the top spot with star defenseman Morgan Rielly looms for the returning Dermott.

It’s a move that would make sense. Both Dermott and Rielly are part of the Toronto Maple Leafs long-term plan, while Ceci is obviously not. Add to the equation that the pairing of Ceci and Rielly can’t be filed under the section of successful experiments and there’s no reason not to try it.

Dermott brings a physical game to the ice with a big body and could play as the stay-at-home defenseman that Morgan Rielly so desperately needs, craves even. Even though it would force Dermott to play on his offside, it’s not an uncommon phenomenon in hockey.

While the adjustment for both players might take time, it’s still worth the risk. The Toronto Maple Leafs have already been struggling defensively and leaving things as they are with Dermott on the third pairing will likely not solve anything.

At worst the Toronto Maple Leafs will still have Ceci for the full season and won’t be building any value on him, at best they can trade him on the deadline to clear space to acquire an additional rental themselves.