The Toronto Maple Leafs announced a small transaction Wednesday morning ahead of their tilt with the Florida Panthers, assigning defenceman Dakota Mermis to the American Hockey League (AHL)’s Toronto Marlies on a long-term injury reserve (LTIR) conditioning loan.
Maple Leafs D Dakota Mermis has been assigned to the Toronto Marlies (AHL) on a LTIR conditioning loan.
— Leafs PR (@LeafsPR) November 27, 2024
Mermis, 30, was signed by the Maple Leafs on the second day of free agency to a one-year contract worth $775,000. The Illinois native is a veteran of 74 games with stops with the Arizona Coyotes, New Jersey Devils, and most recently, the Minnesota Wild. He skated in 47 games for the Wild in 2023-24, scoring three goals and adding eight points in those games. He was sidelined during preseason after undergoing jaw surgery and has yet to skate in any games this season, between the NHL and AHL. He was also teammates with Mitch Marner and Anthony Stolarz with the London Knights during his junior days.
While Mermis might not be the household name that fans are keeping tabs on regarding the injury bug (Auston Matthews, Max Domi, and Matthew Knies are among the players hurt right now), the start of the season goes to show that every depth piece matters. The injury bug will eventually bite the team, as it already has this season, and oftentimes players like Mermis will turn into heroes if they can provide any sort of stability until the roster is fully healthy.
Just look at Simon Benoit last season. He was signed to a one-year contract in the offseason and entered the 2023-24 campaign ninth on the Maple Leafs’ defensive depth chart, but after a grocery list of injuries piled up on the back end by mid-November, he found himself in a top-four role. He impressed brass with his physicality and sturdiness in his own end and parlayed it into a contract extension. It happens, and it’s possible. Sure, the team’s defensive corps is healthy right now, but as we’ve seen in the past, that can change in an instant.
Mermis will report to the AHL as the Maple Leafs decide whether to place him on waivers and keep him with the Marlies, or save him a spot on the depth chart. With Jani Hakanpaa fully healthy, the former seems more likely.
