Dermott Discussion

[wingman75]

I wouldn’t ever engage in a passionate Holl vs Dermott debate but there are a lot of defensive situations where Holl’s wingspan and weight serve us better than Dermott.

100%, tonight included. Holl is not the same player he was at the start of the season. Dermott unfortunately is. He is okay, but doesn't impact the game enough on the defensive side of the puck. That being said, you cannot fault his effort.

 

[Stephen]

100%, tonight included. Holl is not the same player he was at the start of the season. Dermott unfortunately is. He is okay, but doesn't impact the game enough on the defensive side of the puck. That being said, you cannot fault his effort.

Dermott is built like a scoring winger and seems to not process the game that well. Those limitations hold him back from making full use of his hands and great skating ability. If he had the processing power he could play the game like a Brodie on defense and give us a moderate Gardiner level offense. If he was heavier he would be more reliable on board work and in battles to clear the net.

 

[wingman75]

Dermott is built like a scoring winger and seems to not process the game that well. Those limitations hold him back from making full use of his hands and great skating ability. If he had the processing power he could play the game like a Brodie on defense and give us a moderate Gardiner level offense. If he was heavier he would be more reliable on board work and in battles to clear the net.

The rare-NHL-tweener!! Agree with your observations.

 

[ACC1224]

I wouldn’t ever engage in a passionate Holl vs Dermott debate but there are a lot of defensive situations where Holl’s wingspan and weight serve us better than Dermott.

Yep he’s definitely bigger. Seemed like they both played pretty well tonight

 

[Niagara Bill]

100%, tonight included. Holl is not the same player he was at the start of the season. Dermott unfortunately is. He is okay, but doesn't impact the game enough on the defensive side of the puck. That being said, you cannot fault his effort.

Yes you can fault effort. He always appears disinterested, very weak physically, unwilling to engage as a d man.
He can survive as a forward with some of those tendencies but not as a dman. He should never play again fir this team. Send a message, NOW!

 

[Funk21]

Said it before and will say it again, Dermott has regressed and should be moved to make way for Kral. Bigger, more physical and a booming shot from the point.

He needs a change of scenery but will be a 6/7 D man on most teams and nothing more.

 

[CabanaBoy5]

Said it before and will say it again, Dermott has regressed and should be moved to make way for Kral. Bigger, more physical and a booming shot from the point.

He needs a change of scenery but will be a 6/7 D man on most teams and nothing more.

Totally agree about Kral. He impressed me in the preseason with his size, skating, anticipation and offensive smarts. Apparently he’s had a good season with the Marlies. I think they want to have a full season in the A before moving him up. But he’s going to be a good one imo.

 

[wingman75]

Yes you can fault effort. He always appears disinterested, very weak physically, unwilling to engage as a d man.
He can survive as a forward with some of those tendencies but not as a dman. He should never play again fir this team. Send a message, NOW!

Yea, I don't see any of that. Sorry man. When he is on the ice, I find he is always working hard... often not making the right decisions and losing physical battles, but that has nothing to do with lack of effort.

 

[Judas Tavares]

It's crazy how young Dermott still is, but he's already played for a better part of 5 seasons. I think he is what he is at this point. He kind of reminds me of the Josh Leivo of defence. And I can see him being traded for a better opportunity.

 

[Niagara Bill]

It's crazy how young Dermott still is, but he's already played for a better part of 5 seasons. I think he is what he is at this point. He kind of reminds me of the Josh Leivo of defence. And I can see him being traded for a better opportunity.

And what kind of a player did Leivo turn out to be, not even third line on a good team. Dermott not tough enough to be 5th or 6th, or defensive enough to be 5th or 6th. He must be top 4 to have a role, he does not gave the strength for that. IMHO.

 

[Niagara Bill]

Yea, I don't see any of that. Sorry man. When he is on the ice, I find he is always working hard... often not making the right decisions and losing physical battles, but that has nothing to do with lack of effort.

Ok, effort is often there, but if you watch that tip in goal last night, you see lack of most everything.

 

[wingman75]

Ok, effort is often there, but if you watch that tip in goal last night, you see lack of most everything.

Fully agree.

 

[Judas Tavares]

And what kind of a player did Leivo turn out to be, not even third line on a good team. Dermott not tough enough to be 5th or 6th, or defensive enough to be 5th or 6th. He must be top 4 to have a role, he does not gave the strength for that. IMHO.

With Leivo, he always showed flashes, like Dermott. Leivo also had some nice streaks, but never stuck. Those streaks did garner him some fans though, many were upset when he was dealt. Dermott I can envision the same, he has his fans and there will be some upset if he is dealt. But if he can be upgraded upon, I really don't think he would be a loss to lose sleep over.

 

[justashadowof]

I'm not sure whether Dermott has advanced very far past the level he reached during his first NHL season. I see attempts to blame Babcock but Babcock gave Dermott more ice time than Keefe has given him. I do however think that far more is being asked of him now: scratched one night then 2nd pairing left side then 3rd pairing right side then 3rd pairing left side then sat on the bench for a whole period as the team runs with 4 defensemen then maybe even some 2nd pairing right side the next game, all with different partners. Probably more valuable than we immediately identify.

 

[hockeywiz542]

Travis Dermott opens up after potential final game as a Maple Leaf - Sportsnet.ca

NASHVILLE – A hard realization swallowed Travis Dermott as he sat inside the bowels of Bridgestone Arena Saturday night.

Eyes moist and a touch red, the boy from Newmarket, Ont., who grew up fantasizing of pulling a Toronto Maple Leafs sweater over his head understands he may have done so for the final time.

The trade deadline is nigh, and Dermott has already been swapped on the Internet a million times.

Good player. Movable contract.

He’s fallen out of favour with the coaching staff, struggled to hold onto a third-pairing role, and needs a change of scenery. Management could use the cap space for whomever joins the dressing room in the next day and a half.

Emotional, the defenceman tried to lean on clichés in his postgame availability — “that’s hockey,” “whatever happens, happens” — but Dermott has always been as candid as he has been quick to smile.

His heart, it couldn’t help but leak onto his sleeve.

“It was surreal being drafted by the Leafs and all this stuff leading up to this. But how many guys play their entire career in the same team? So, it's something that… it's always there. It's always a possibility to get moved out. Wish everything works out as well as it could, but that's hockey,” said Dermott.

He thought back to June 27, 2015, when his life changed for good. For the best.

“It's a dream. I keep pinching myself even to this day. Like, there's no way. I'm still dreaming from draft day. They didn't actually call my name. This is just a five-year-long dream. You try to take it for all it is and really appreciate it. "

“But if it's in the next week or next 10 years, whenever I'm gone, I'll definitely be looking back on it and reminisce on some good times.”

Dermott accepts that “good teams are built on competition within the group,” but he’s found himself on the outside of the starting lineup more often than the two younger blueliners he’s battling with for ice time.

Rasmus Sandin has 51 games played.

Timothy Liljegren has 44.

Dermott just played his 43rd, and possibly his last.

 

[ACC1224]

Travis Dermott opens up after potential final game as a Maple Leaf - Sportsnet.ca

NASHVILLE – A hard realization swallowed Travis Dermott as he sat inside the bowels of Bridgestone Arena Saturday night.

Eyes moist and a touch red, the boy from Newmarket, Ont., who grew up fantasizing of pulling a Toronto Maple Leafs sweater over his head understands he may have done so for the final time.

The trade deadline is nigh, and Dermott has already been swapped on the Internet a million times.

Good player. Movable contract.

He’s fallen out of favour with the coaching staff, struggled to hold onto a third-pairing role, and needs a change of scenery. Management could use the cap space for whomever joins the dressing room in the next day and a half.

Emotional, the defenceman tried to lean on clichés in his postgame availability — “that’s hockey,” “whatever happens, happens” — but Dermott has always been as candid as he has been quick to smile.

His heart, it couldn’t help but leak onto his sleeve.

“It was surreal being drafted by the Leafs and all this stuff leading up to this. But how many guys play their entire career in the same team? So, it's something that… it's always there. It's always a possibility to get moved out. Wish everything works out as well as it could, but that's hockey,” said Dermott.

He thought back to June 27, 2015, when his life changed for good. For the best.

“It's a dream. I keep pinching myself even to this day. Like, there's no way. I'm still dreaming from draft day. They didn't actually call my name. This is just a five-year-long dream. You try to take it for all it is and really appreciate it. "

“But if it's in the next week or next 10 years, whenever I'm gone, I'll definitely be looking back on it and reminisce on some good times.”

Dermott accepts that “good teams are built on competition within the group,” but he’s found himself on the outside of the starting lineup more often than the two younger blueliners he’s battling with for ice time.

Rasmus Sandin has 51 games played.

Timothy Liljegren has 44.

Dermott just played his 43rd, and possibly his last.

It’ll be a shame to lose him. Good kid, if it were up to me I’d find a way to keep him around.

 

[kk87]

Said it before and I'll say it again. He's always had all the tools to be a reliable top 4 defenseman, but management never committed to giving him that opportunity. He's going to be really solid wherever he ends up.

 

[therealkoho]

I'd say that's probably how the team views it.
My question was more how do the fans view the depth chart.

All that matters is what the guys inside the boards think, the guys outside the boards are where they are for a reason

 

[therealkoho]

As a 2nd round pick I always figured that if he really worked out what a bonus it would be, and I always hoped he would work out.

You could see all these positive signs in his development coming together through the years, but you could also see mistakes that he couldn't shake from his game, oft repeated mistakes. It didn't seem like he was forced into these repeated errors only that he kept making them.

Sometimes I saw him as an adequate 4/5 and sometimes as no more than a passable 7th. There was just that much swing in his game. He had great wheels and was a decent puck handler and then he wasn't, he could throw a decent hit and get physical and then it would disappear from his game, he would make a high level hockey play to retrieve a puck beat the first man and then either throw a pizza up or ice the puck for no reason.

The Leafs could certainly keep him as a 7th but at his QO it wouldn't make sense, and you have guys who may have more headroom than Travis and be ready to move up.

Dermott has served the team well but there are other guys ready to fill his role for league minimum, and while it sucks, like justice it does matter

 

[ACC1224]

All that matters is what the guys inside the boards think, the guys outside the boards are where they are for a reason

I posted that a while ago so I’m not 100% sure of the context but I believe it was just to determine how large a disconnect there is between the team and it’s fans.

 

[therealkoho]

I posted that a while ago so I’m not 100% sure of the context but I believe it was just to determine how large a disconnect there is between the team and it’s fans.

It's huge and almost as wide a gulf as there is between some fans

 

[Seath The Scaleless]

It will suck to see Dermott go. I've always liked his game and felt he was underappreciated at times here (by the coaching staff and fans) even when he did his job admirably, especially filling in for injuries in the top 4.

He always tries to break up the opponent's cycle game behind the goal line rather than puck watch or chase his guy forever, great gap control, albeit sometimes too aggressive, battles in front of the net, and good at getting the puck out of the zone. Unfortunately, he will be remembered by some for his pinches (some on him, some on the system, some on the forwards) and the giveaway in game 6 (a play he makes 99 times out of 100)

Hoping he gets an extended look in the top 4 elsewhere with a more offensive minded partner. If he can just dial it back a tad outside of the defensive zone, I think he will excel.

 

[Stephen]

The way the Leafs danced the draft board in 2015 to land at the Dermott pick, I really thought they had something special in him. Played with Connor McDavid in Erie, skated like the wind, had a lot of offensive potential and we had a brand new scouting staff with Hunter and friends. Thought maybe we had unearthed the next Duncan Keith or PK Subban in the second round.

Just seems like Dermott never gained any traction as an offensive or defensive defenseman. Didn't get that structured tutelage coming up from a steady veteran partner and kind of flat lined on the lower pairs.

 

[Nylanderthal]

Definition of all the tools, and no tools box. Good kid and I hope he succeeds wherever he ends up, but he has had guys blow by him on the depth chart and hasn’t taken the next step himself in development. Would rather have an equal valued forward to supplement the forward group and if need be bring in a different kind of 8th D man.

 

[hockeywiz542]