The Utah Hockey Club made a smart acquisition on the waiver wire, claiming veteran defenseman Dakota Mermis from the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday. Mermis, 30, had signed a one-year, $775,000 contract with Toronto in July but was waived to clear space for Jake McCabe’s return from injured reserve. McCabe, who had already logged 20:07 minutes in a win against the Anaheim Ducks, made Mermis expendable. Mermis hasn’t played in the NHL since last April with the Minnesota Wild, and although he signed with Toronto, he will not be able to debut with the Maple Leafs this season.
However, he did appear in three games with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies during a conditioning stint after recovering from a jaw injury suffered in training camp. While Mermis won’t be expected to solve all of Utah’s defensive issues on his own, his experience is a valuable addition to the newly formed team. The move is particularly sensible given Utah’s need for defensive depth, as key blueliners John Marino and Sean Durzi are both sidelined with long-term injuries.
Mermis played 47 games with the Minnesota Wild last season, recording three goals and eight points. He has accumulated 74 regular-season games in his career, with previous stints in Arizona, New Jersey, Minnesota, and Toronto. For the Maple Leafs, Mermis was mainly a victim of roster constraints, as the team needed to make room for Jake McCabe’s return. To free up space, Toronto placed both Mermis and Alexander Nylander on waivers. Releasing Mermis allowed the team to reassign Nylander to the Marlies.
Leave a Reply