Dermott embraces increased expectations, competition
Draft lottery and free agency dominate NHL GM meeting
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By Kristen Shilton
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TORONTO – By the time free agent Travis Dermott signed a one-year, $ 874,125 contract extension with the Maple Leafs on Friday, Toronto had already filled its blue line with off-season additions like TJ Brodie, Zach Bogosian and Mikko Lehtonen That kind of depth will make rosters especially hard to find next season, a prospect that thrills Dermott
« It’s exciting I always love a good competition, » Dermott told reporters on a Zoom call on Saturday morning « We’ll see how the [training] camp goes, every time it starts We’re going to be a lot better with so much competition It’s going to cause the guys to push each other, and really make the guys be their best. version of themselves and to be really prepared at the time of the camp «
This message rings especially true for Dermott, who plans to fight Lehtonen, Justin Holl, Rasmus Sandin and Martin Marincin for a third role next year
The fourth-year professional just had the worst statistical campaign of his young career in 2019-2020, with just 11 effort points in 56 regular-season games Dermott had started by missing the first 13 games of the season recovering from shoulder surgery in the offseason, and he admits it continued to have an effect even after his return to the ice.
« [After the] injury I don’t think I came back as fast and as dominant as I wanted, » said Dermott « So you are learning from those experiences We have such good teammates in Toronto that you learn all the time I have a lot of big D’s out there that I can watch and guys who will show me the way so it’s just keeping your eyes and ears open I think You’re just trying to learn as much as you can and move forward and on a better footing «
It certainly wasn’t the year Dermott was considering negotiating a new contract For weeks, he watched general manager Kyle Dubas use the Leafs’ limited space to pick up new faces, and Dermott admitted the wait for his turn at the table was « nerve-racking. »Ultimately, Dermott made a one-year pact, in part because of the financial pressure COVID-19 has placed on clubs in the form of a fixed salary cap
« There’s a lot going on in the world, and it’s going to wreak havoc on everything I guess, » said Dermott « And that’s been explained to me from my camp, so it’s been a little affected [our] business But at the end of the day I just want to play hockey and whatever number is there is the number that is there so I’m just honored to be back and excited to ‘go play »
Given the influx of new talent, Dubas said in a media availability this month that Dermott was a likely candidate to switch from his natural left side to the right side if necessary. That’s great for the 23-year-old, who once spent time playing offside for the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League and tackled here and there as a pro. p>
“I love the right side It’s good,” said Dermott. “There are a lot of parts of the game that I like better on the right side, or that I find easier In the attacking zone you are more available for a quick pic of your partner Some escape tricks are easier because your body is more open to ice There are a lot of times around the ice where it’s completely different from left to right, but there are there are things that when I am there on the right feel really good I am not afraid of this task at all and it is quite exciting «
Dermott has said the key to his training every offseason is to take reps from both sides of the ice anyway, so he’s available for whatever head coach Sheldon Keefe needs. More than worrying about his hand, Keefe will seek out Dermott to showcase his best game when looking to fill those defensive slots.
« Keefer knows how I play when I’m at my best, and I know how I play when I’m at my best, so I think that’s what they expect of me, » Dermott shrugged. Anything less so there are guys biting my heels to get in and steal my job My job is to come in and play my game and do exactly what they want me to do so it’s all about to do it and be consistent with it «
“There are a lot of good things that Derms does for us,” Keefe said, in an Oct 7 media availability. “We just need to see a level of consistency and reliability. It’s part of the process for the Most young players He has shown at different times that he is capable of stepping up and we were able to win games against very good teams with him playing a leading role so that the potential is there «
It’s been months now, going back to the Leafs’ playoff loss to Columbus in mid-August, since Dermott really thought about the intricacies of his game, a fact he couldn’t help but notice. Emphasize on the Zoom call But when he thinks he’s at his best, Dermott has a simple plan of attack
“It’s playing hard, it’s not playing tentatively,” he said “He uses my feet, I skate fast, but first make sure my defensive stuff is done, then go from there, you advance It’s what you build for yourself, like a little portfolio of the things you do well and Keefer and I have grown over the years and understood how my portfolio has grown, and he brings just that all the way. evenings and try to be as consistent as possible with that »
Until there is a set schedule for the 2020-2021 NHL season, Dermott will continue to brush up on his skills at the Toronto training center, where a group of Leafs have been working hard for weeks. It’s a group run by « horse power » like Zach Hyman and Jason Spezza and Dermott stayed with them before he even wrote down on his deal. Because not only is Toronto literally home to native Newmarket, Ontario, it’s where he not only wants to play hockey, but to excel at it
“I like everything to be safe. I knew I wanted to stay in Toronto,” he said “My options were obviously limited [being an RFA], but [my agent] knew I wanted it. do it pretty quickly Looks good now And to me, learning from last season, you want to learn from the playoff experience, the [playoff] bubble experience, which was really cool You’re trying to shoot little things from these experiences and use them to move forward «
Travis Dermott
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