Travis Dermott
| Birthday: 1996-12-22 | Position: D |
| Eligible for draft: 2015 | Shoots: Right |
| Drafted: 2015 | Height: 5-11 |
| Acquired: 4th Round (34th Overall), 2015 | Weight: 197 lbs. |
Probability of Success
- D
History
2011-12: Travis Dermott played 19 games with the minor midget AAA York Simcoe Express in Ontario, breaking his collarbone twice. He scored 2 goals with 7 assists and 12 penalty minutes. Dermott was selected by Erie in the ninth round (164th overall) in the 2012 OHL Priority Draft.
2012-13: Dermott skated for the junior A Newmarket Hurricanes in the Ontario Junior Hockey League. He scored 1 goal with 14 assists and 24 penalty minutes in 53 regular season games. The Hurricanes reached the OJHL Finals, falling to the St. Michael’s Buzzers, 3-1, in the decisive seventh game. Dermott scored 4 goals with 11 assists and 14 penalty minutes in 24 playoff games.
2013-14: Dermott was one of three defensemen for Erie to top 25 points as the Otters won 52 of 68 regular season games. He scored 3 goals with 25 assists and in 67 games and was +35 with 45 penalty minutes in his first OHL season. Erie finished second in the Midwest Division and reached the Western Conference finals, falling to eventual OHL champion Guelph. Dermott had 5 assists and was -4 with 8 penalty minutes in 14 playoff games.
2014-15: Dermott was the second-leading scorer amongst Erie defensemen in his second season with the Otters, three points behind 19-year-old Darren Raddysh. He scored 8 goals with 37 assists and was +23 with 53 penalty minutes in 61 games. Erie finished first in the Midwest Division, defeating Sault Ste. Marie in the Western Conference Finals before falling to eventual Memorial Cup champion Oshawa in the OHL Finals. Dermott led all OHL defensemen in scoring in the playoffs with 5 goals and 12 assists in 20 games and was +5 with 22 penalty minutes. He was invited to the NHL Prospects Combine and was ranked 46th amongst North American skaters in the Central Scouting final rankings. Toronto selected Dermott in the second round (34th overall) in the 2015 NHL Draft.
2015-16: Dermott signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Maple Leafs in July 2015, making his pro hockey debut with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies in the Calder Cup playoffs following his third OHL season. He attended training camp with Toronto before returning to the Erie Otters and played for Canada in the 2016 World Junior Championship. Dermott was -1 with no points nor penalties in his only game with the Marlies and skated in 51 regular season games for the Otters; missing time in February due to a five-game suspension for an illegal hit. He scored 6 goals with 37 assists and was +36 with 65 penalty minutes. Erie led the OHL with 52 wins in the regular season and reached the Western Conference finals against Memorial Cup champion London. Dermott scored 3 goals with 11 assists and was +7 with 14 penalty minutes in 13 playoff games. He had 2 assists and was -2 with 2 penalty minutes in five games for sixth-place Canada at the WJC. Canada lost to host and gold medal champion Finland, 6-5, in the quarterfinals.
Talent Analysis
Dermott is a skilled offensive defenseman with the judgment to know when to push the play and when to take a defensive posture. While not as tall as a prototypical NHL defenseman, he is thickly built and displays a physical element to his game. He skates well and uses his mobility to advantage. He is particularly effective on the power play.
Future
Dermott had an eventful season in 2015-16 — signing an entry-level contract with the Maple Leafs in the summer, skating for the Erie Otters as well as Canada's U20 team, and then finishing the season with an appearance in the AHL playoffs for the Toronto Marlies. Viewed as one of the key pieces in the Leafs organization's rebuilding plans, he is eligible to play in the AHL in 2016-17 if he does not make the NHL club. Long-term he projects as a skating defenseman with the ability to both support the attack and line up against the opposition's top scorers.
