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Is Travis Dermott the Toronto Maple Leafs Best Trade Chip?

By Lucas Bolt

TORONTO, ON - FEBRUARY 29: Travis Dermott #23 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates with the puck against the Vancouver Canucks during an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on February 29, 2020 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Maple Leafs defeated the Canucks 4-2. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - FEBRUARY 29: Travis Dermott #23 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates with the puck against the Vancouver Canucks during an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on February 29, 2020 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Maple Leafs defeated the Canucks 4-2. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) /
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Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Travis Dermott will become a restricted free agent when this season is over. 

The Toronto Maple Leafs may not want to give a big raise to a player who plays a position they are very deep at.

The question they have to ask is if Travis Dermott is part of the long term solution or if should be used in a deal to potentially make the team better?

The Toronto Maple Leafs have Rielly, Muzzin, Rosen and Sandin who all play the left side.  If one of these player can’t move to the right side, then one has to go.

Barrie and Ceci are set to walk into free agency, so there is a spot available on the right-hand side for Dermott if that is the case.

Should the Toronto Maple Leafs Sign or Trade Dermott?

The Leafs have had there ups and downs this season but still have a great roster that is capable of winning.

That status, however, comes with a set of salary cap related problems – if you keep developing and acquiring good players, it will eventually turn out that you can’t pay them all.

If the Leafs look to move Dermott, perhaps they will want a right shooting defenseman back in exchange.

A possible trade could be made with the Philadelphia Flyers who have been stockpiling defensemen for the past few years. A possible trade scenario:

To TOR: Phillipe Myers

To PHI: Travis Dermott, 7th Rd pick

Dermott would bring a gritty element to the Flyers defense and could potentially blossom into something greater then what he already is, although he is already quite good. 

In 42 contests Myers has 4 goals and 15 points , whereas Dermott in 47 contests has 4 goals and 9 points.

If a deal like this were not to happen, Dermott could also be used in a package with some of the rumored forwards on the trade block like Johnsson or Kapanen in part of a bigger deal to bring in a partner for Rielly.

In conclusion, the Toronto Maple Leafs may find they need to move Dermott, because they have an overload on the left side, and he is the obvious one to move – Muzzin just signed, Rielly is their best defenseman and Sandin is their top prospect.

Next. Sign Dermott's Contract With a Gold Pen. dark

This will without a doubt be one of the more interesting situations to watch over the Leafs off-season, whenever that may be.

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