4 Toronto Maple Leafs players who need to start setting up their play

Is this the end of the line for Travis Dermott with the Toronto Maple Leafs?

You always want to root for the local player to succeed and in Travis Dermott‘s case, this is a player who just hasn’t found his footing which doesn’t bode well for to stick around.

Right now, Dermott is the Leafs seventh defenceman and don’t be surprised if he’s one of the players shipped out of town. He carries a $1.5 million cap hit which is not ideal for a Leafs team that can’t have that type of money sitting in the press box.

David Pagnotta of the Fourth Period reported that the Newmarket, Ont., native is being shopped by the Leafs.  This shouldn’t a surprise considering Dermott and Holl were being linked to trade rumours earlier this season.

Really, it’s a similar situation to Nick Ritchie who is probably the No. 1 priority to move but Dermott is likely right behind him. If the Leafs can find a taker for the 25-year-old they should be able to find a cheaper alternative.

Maybe a change of scenery is what Dermott needs and you have to think a team would be willing to bet on him. An ideal situation could be including Dermott in a deal for an upgrade but considering the Leafs don’t have a lot of draft picks, maybe they try to replenish their cabinet and get some cap space too.

So why do I have Dermott’s name in players to step up? Well one injury would put Dermott right back into the lineup and if that does happen (knock on wood the Leafs don’t lose a crucial player) he needs to be ready.

What better way to get back into the good graces of the Leafs coaching staff than being able to step in when called upon. Worst case, Dermott gets back in but manages to showcase himself to a team that has considered trading for him.