Dakota Mermis is reuniting with the Toronto Maple Leafs, after being claimed off waivers from Utah HC.
Mermis has been assigned to the AHL&#8217;s Toronto Marlies. The 30-year-old signed a one-year, $775,000 contract with the Maple Leafs on July 2, then played in three games with the Marlies, recording one assist. Mermis was placed on waivers by the Maple Leafs on December 12 and was claimed by Utah.
Utah placed Mermis on waivers Thursday, after playing in one game with the club, where he posted a -2 rating in a December 22 loss to the Anaheim Ducks. No other team put in a claim for Mermis, which allowed the Leafs to send him to the AHL.
Mermis has some familiarity with the Maple Leafs, previously playing with Mitch Marner during their tenure with the OHL&#8217;s London Knights. He was originally placed on long-term injured reserve to begin the season, while recovering from a fractured jaw. It&#8217;s clear that he&#8217;s a depth option for the Maple Leafs if something goes awry, and is better suited for the AHL level at this juncture of his career. Mermis posted three goals and eight points with the Minnesota Wild during the 2023-24 campaign.
Toronto has filled out its defensive chart, with four untouchable players in Jake McCabe, Chris Tanev, Morgan Rielly and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, while there&#8217;s internal competition between Simon Benoit, Conor Timmins and Philippe Myers for the final two spots. Myers, who signed with the Maple Leafs on the same day as Mermis, inked a <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/philippe-myers-2-year-extension-competition-leafs-defencemen">two-year extension worth $875,000 annually</a>, a reward for his stellar play through December.
Mermis isn&#8217;t expected to be a major contributor for the Maple Leafs, but he provides some further depth to the defence corps, as a left-shot option that can eat some bottom-six minutes, although it&#8217;s likely he spends the majority of the year with the Marlies.
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Dakota Mermis is reuniting with the Toronto Maple Leafs, after being claimed off waivers from Utah HC.

Mermis has been assigned to the AHL's Toronto Marlies. The 30-year-old signed a one-year, $775,000 contract with the Maple Leafs on July 2, then played in three games with the Marlies, recording one assist. Mermis was placed on waivers by the Maple Leafs on December 12 and was claimed by Utah.

Utah placed Mermis on waivers Thursday, after playing in one game with the club, where he posted a -2 rating in a December 22 loss to the Anaheim Ducks. No other team put in a claim for Mermis, which allowed the Leafs to send him to the AHL.

Mermis has some familiarity with the Maple Leafs, previously playing with Mitch Marner during their tenure with the OHL's London Knights. He was originally placed on long-term injured reserve to begin the season, while recovering from a fractured jaw. It's clear that he's a depth option for the Maple Leafs if something goes awry, and is better suited for the AHL level at this juncture of his career. Mermis posted three goals and eight points with the Minnesota Wild during the 2023-24 campaign.

Toronto has filled out its defensive chart, with four untouchable players in Jake McCabe, Chris Tanev, Morgan Rielly and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, while there's internal competition between Simon Benoit, Conor Timmins and Philippe Myers for the final two spots. Myers, who signed with the Maple Leafs on the same day as Mermis, inked a <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/philippe-myers-2-year-extension-competition-leafs-defencemen">two-year extension worth $875,000 annually</a>, a reward for his stellar play through December.

Mermis isn't expected to be a major contributor for the Maple Leafs, but he provides some further depth to the defence corps, as a left-shot option that can eat some bottom-six minutes, although it's likely he spends the majority of the year with the Marlies.

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