The Toronto Maple Leafs took care of one of their final pieces of necessary business on Friday when general manager Kyle Dubas got restricted free agent defenseman Travis Dermott inked to a one-year contract extension. The deal is worth $847,125 for next season.
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Upon first glance, Dermott’s deal is being seen as a win for Toronto since the new deal is equal to what his qualifying offer was, but this is actually a win for both sides. Yes, the deal represents good value for the Maple Leafs who knew it was important to get him signed at a reasonable cap hit. It also wasn’t like Dermott have a lot of room to make demands or command a higher salary.
Somewhat of a “show-me” contract, the player will have arbitration rights next offseason. He’s a top-end bottom pairing defensive defenceman and his goal will be to show he’s got a bit more to his game than that one dimension.
Even if he doesn’t, he’s been performing well in limited minutes since he entered the NHL. He posted 11 points through 56 games for the Maple Leafs last season, averaging a career-high 17:19 minutes of ice per night — sixth-most among Leafs defencemen.
Dermott Had Less Leverage
There were some early projections he could make over $1 million, especially if he signed for more than one season. But, with no arbitration rights and no real leverage, it became clear the player should just sign having not established himself as a regular NHL’er.
This season will be all about showing he’s worth the investment down the road.
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