The former Maple Leafs defenseman Travis Dermott signed a contract with the Edmonton Oilers.
In Edmonton, the whole organization has one goal in mind: to get back to the Stanley Cup Finals and win. Management pulled all stops in the summer to give the players all the tools they needed to do it. They acquired key players, such as Jeff Skinner, Victor Arvidsson, and Matthew Savoie, adding considerable depth to the lineup,
At the blue line, the Oilers didn’t make so many changes. With Evan Bouchard’s contract ending soon and Darnell Nurse’s eight-year, $9,250,000 AAV deal, they were looking into cheap options to add depth to the team. That’s why they signed Travis Dermott to a professional tryout during training camp.
In breaking news, it was confirmed that the PTO paid off for the player, as Dermott and the Oilers agreed on the terms of a one-year, two-year contract valued at $775k.
Dermott, 27, played in 329 NHL games with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, and Arizona Coyotes in his career. He was drafted by the Leafs in 2015, at the 34th overall rank. Last season, with the Coyotes, the defenseman scored seven points, including two goals.
It’s a great move for Edmonton, who secured a reliable, mobile defenseman who can play on both sides of the ice. However, the Oilers will hope that he can take his game to the next level during the season.
Unfortunately, not all the PTOs signed by the Oilers ended up making the team. They took a guess on forward Mike Hoffman in the summer, but he was ultimately released from his PTO despite a strong preseason.
It’ll be interesting to see what Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Evan Bouchard pull off the season, but we’ll keep an eye on the former Leafs Zach Hyman and Dermott as they look to help the Oilers at the best of their abilities.