Toronto Maple Leafs: Travis Dermott’s return should provide stability

Travis Dermott will make his return to the Toronto Maple Leafs’ lineup and hopefully, he can help the defence get back on track.

After a tough week where the Toronto Maple Leafs defensive game got exposed, they are getting some positive news with Travis Dermott returning to the lineup against the Washington Capitals Tuesday.

Dermott is expected to play alongside Justin Holl who he knows quite well from his time with the Toronto Marlies and that should hopefully give the Leafs some much-needed depth. What’s more important is giving the 22-year-old a chance to get back into the swing of things and hopefully he can move into the top-four with Morgan Rielly.

He is clearly a better option even as a left-handed shot to play on the right side over Cody Ceci but it would be too much to ask Dermott to go up against the Capitals top players in his first game back.

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Fortunately, having a shoulder injury has allowed him to be on the ice and train which means his conditioning won’t be a major problem. At the same time, you’re not going to get the same intensity in practice as you will in the game.

Of course, the Leafs will have to send a player down to make room for Dermott but luckily for Toronto, his salary can be replaced by sending down either Kevin Gravel or Martin Marincin. Neither have proven to be dependable options even as the sixth defenceman so it shouldn’t matter who gets sent down.

What Dermott brings to the lineup is a player who is good at handling the puck, willing to be physical in the defensive zone and will try to be more aggressive in denying zone entries.

When it comes to the team’s latest struggles, Mike Babcock didn’t seem ready to hit the panic button even though there has been increasing discussion around his job security.

"“I think the adversity is outstanding,” Babcock told reporters. “I always want it when we’re not going through it. But when we’re in it, I never want it. It’s like everybody in life. Even though you know it’s going to make you better and that’s the logical thing to say … you also want to be rolling along. The league is tough. It’s tough every night when you have everything going well.“I like the process. I like what our young players have to go through to be dominant players in the league. The league is not easy. When you want to be a good player, it’s hard for you and that’s a challenge for all our young guys.”"

Getting Dermott back in the lineup will help the Leafs in the same way Zach Hyman and John Tavares are ready to make their return. They have abilities other players haven’t been able to provide in their absence.

What are your thoughts on Dermott’s return in the lineup? Where should he play in the long term? Let us know in the comments below.