What to expect from the Maple Leafs in 2018
Travis Dermott makes his NHL debut
The Maple Leafs have seen the impact that the draft has had upfront with seven of their forwards being former draft picks if we include Frederik Gauthier (Tyler Bozak was a college free agent, Zach Hyman was acquired in a trade).
On the back end it is another story. Only Rielly stands as the only draft prospect to play on the blueline this season. The team has tried to shore up their defence through minor trades and free agency but eventually some of the draft picks have to start to make they way.
The team can afford to be patient with Timothy Liljegren considering he was just drafted this season. At the end of last season, many were expecting Travis Dermott to make the jump to the NHL this season but Andreas Borgman played well enough to earn a spot over him.
When Nikita Zaitsev went down with a lower-body injury, Martin Marincin got the call over Dermott and the reason was because Dermott was coming back from an injury.
The 21-year old is coming off a three point night against the Belleville Senators. He would not stop there.
https://twitter.com/HockeyCrock/status/948764447371182080
This should put Dermott at the top of the Leafs radar for call up options. with 17 points in 26 games this season after he had 24 in 59 last season.
After a rough performance against the Vegas Golden Knights, many are calling for Dermott to get his long awaited chance in the NHL and considering how he has played the past couple of seasons with the Toronto Marlies, it would be well deserved.
He has been a big part of the Marlies penalty kill which would be a big help for the Toronto Maple Leafs, who do not have as many options with Zaitsev out. While it would be hard to expect Dermott to play in a top-four role, he would provide an upgrade in the bottom pairing considering Babcock’s unwillingness to play Connor Carrick.