Toronto Maple Leafs Don’t Owe Travis Dermott Anything
Travis Dermott is currently slotted as the seventh defenseman on the Toronto Maple Leafs depth chart and that’s exactly where he should be.
Drafted 34th overall in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs, Travis Dermott has developed into a fine young player in the NHL. However, he’s not quite ready for a guaranteed job on a very good team right now.
It’s sickening to think that although Dermott will have a long career, that the Toronto Maple Leafs could have drafted Sebastian Aho with that pick instead. Aho was selected 35th overall by the Carolina Hurricanes and already has 263 points in 310 NHL games played (stats: via hockeydb.com)
That’s 153 more games and 222 more points than Dermott has. I know they play different positions and the Leafs have more than enough offensive skill right now, but Aho on this Leafs team would be legendary.
Whether it’s true or not, it’s often said that defensemen typically take longer to develop than forwards, but that shouldn’t be an excuse as to why Dermott isn’t a guaranteed player in the top-six right now. If you look back at the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, Ivan Provorov, Zach Werenski, Thomas Chabot, Noah Hanifin, Vince Dunn and Brandon Carlo are six players that are top-four defenseman already.
Dermott has had the luxury of playing on a team that has had a bad defensive core over the past few years, yet he’s still not ready to take on a bigger role.
Toronto Doesn’t Owe Dermott Anything
When it comes to professional sports, no matter how long you pay your dues, the team doesn’t owe you anything. Each player must compete every night to earn their job and at this moment, Dermott will be in the press box more often than he plays.
At 24-years-old, Dermott has a long way to go to be considered an everyday defenseman on this Leafs team. He can be that player on a bottom-feeder team, but not in Toronto. Personally, I love the way he skates and how he brings the puck up the ice. He plays a similar role that Jake Gardiner used to with the Leafs and when his game is on, it’s really good. However, it’s the inconsistency of his game that is troubling.
In terms of his personality and enthusiasm, Dermott lights up every room he walks into. If every player had the same personality and excitement that he does playing hockey, this sport would be even better than what it is today. However, based on the players in front of him, he’s going to have to step up his game in order to play every night for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
I’m not saying that he’s never going to get there, but all I’m saying is that the Leafs shouldn’t put him in the line-up every night, just to do him a favor. No matter when the player got drafted or how much money they make shouldn’t change who gets into the line-up. It’s a privilege, not a right to play in the NHL, so Dermott and the fans shouldn’t sulk if he’s not in the top-six every night.
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Currently on a minimal one-year contract, this is a huge season for Dermott. Let’s hope that starting the season off as the seventh defenseman motivates him to play his best when he’s given his opportunity. However, Leafs fans shouldn’t be upset if he’s not in the line-up every night because the players in front of him deserve to be there.