Defenceman’s job is in details for Dermott
There was a lot to like when Maple Leafs blue-line hopeful Travis Dermott returned to the lineup Sunday at the Ricoh Coliseum for the final game of the club’s rookie tournament.
While the Leafs blew a 3-0 lead, allowing a trio of third-period goals and losing to the Ottawa rookies 4-3 in a shootout, Dermott made quite an impact on both sides of the puck.
The Leafs’ second-round pick in 2015 dropped an old-school, open-ice hip check that sent the Senators’ Gabriel Gagne flipping and crashing to the ice. And Dermott, who missed the first game of the rookie tournament with an illness, also broke up a two-on-one rush, demonstrating his ability to close gaps and break up rushes.
He was also speared in the gut during a goalmouth exchange, and then wrestled the larger Bobby Dow to the ice later in the second period.
But Dermott demonstrated some honesty after the game: He didn’t like his positioning when the Senators scored their second and third goals.
“I came out here with the mindset of trying to get my legs back underneath me and get the feel of the game back,” said Dermott, who is a friend of Connor McDavid and played with the Oilers superstar with the Erie Otters.
“Leading into camp, I just wanted to get the first game out of the way. I went out . . . just trying to make my good. I knew I was going to make some mistakes and I did. But I thought I made some good plays too, so I feel all right about that game. I can work on some stuff, but there was also some stuff that I was happy with.
“I thought I had some decent passes, my offensive play I think was OK. Stepping up, interrupting their rush a couple times, that was good for me. Negatively, both their goals in the third could have been interrupted by me as well, so I can work on that, watch the video and learn from that.”
Dermott has a week of prep before the Leaf’s main camp opens Friday.
This has already been a summer of high expectations for the Newmarket native, who will challenge for the sixth or seventh spot on the Leafs’ blue line.
Marlies coach Sheldon Keefe, who coached the Leafs rookies at the weekend tournament, has long praised Dermott, referring to him as arguably the top 20-year-old defenceman in the AHL last season.
Dermott is aware of the hype, and the openings at the NHL level. So he worked out daily in Toronto over the summer to prepare for the Leafs camp, where he is sure to be a rookie to watch, along with Swedes Timothy Liljegren and Carl Grundstrom.
The path Dermott must take to make the final jump to the NHL will be built on improving details in his game like defending when he does not break up plays. He proved himself big-league ready last year under Keefe’s supervision, but he will need playing time to continue his growth.
He would get that playing time as a sixth defenceman but, if he fits in as a seventh where he is in the press box more than in games, his development might be better served playing regularly with the Marlies and waiting for an opening as the season progresses.
“I think it’s just confidence,” Dermott said, when asked where his game is right now. “Getting that AHL year under my belt, just getting confident in my play and knowing what I can do instead of being the shy little rookie . . . hopefully I can take that confidence into camp this year and go forward.
“I think any player here is going to say they want to make the Leafs, that’s everyone’s goal. I’m going to go out there and play my hardest and try to get a spot but nothing is for sure in this organization, or the whole league, so we’ll see what happens.”