People dont hate him. Hes just being traded a lot because Toronto has a strong left side in Rielly, Muzzin and Sandin. Hes been unable to move to the right for any sustained time despite plenty of opportunity so hes in a position where the Leafs cant really use him. Hes a fine defenseman but he won't crack the lineup on the left side outside of injuries.

I don't think many people hate him. He has very good NHL potential.

I think the main issue is that you have Rielly Muzzin and then Sandin (and Lehtonen) pushing on the left side, while the other side is abysmal. So the question is what do you do with an asset like him.

Dermott can play the right.


Why do people hate Dermott? In short... brain damage.


These are the same idiots that would trade Marincin and a 1st for Parayko.

I don't think Leafs fans hate Dermott at all. If anything we root for him because he has shown us at times that he can be a killer, but still needs to maintain the consistency. If we didn't have Sandin, Muzzin & Rielly all on the Left he would and does fill a 3LD role well, and still has room to grow. Unfortunately, due to the need to fill the 1RD spot, and the fact that Dermotts agent may be asking for somewhere between 1.25M-2.0M and the fact that Sandin needs full time minutes on the Left because he is a rookie, Dermott becomes an expendable trade chip with some value.

Dermott, Kerfoot and Johnsson are all in the same boat as Kappanen, they are good players that the Leafs don't WANT to trade because they appreciate the value of the players and the contracts they're signed to, its the matter that Dubas needs to do SOMETHING every single year to show some sort of improvement or else Leafs nation can and will tear him apart and likely cost him his job.

He's got a valuable toolkit, but he doesn't really use it well. He's a good skater, and can move the puck, but it doesn't matter because he can use that to create any offense. There were expectations for him as a top 4 guy, but it's become more and more clear than he's a 5/6, without any particular strengths. Then consider that he's in need of a new deal, it makes sense to part ways now.

I think we would have seen him there more if the Leafs had faith. its possible that he starts with Rielly or Sandin though if he isnt moved, along side Rielly would be risky, it would be either Dermott or Lehtonen. That's what i typically do when i'm looking at a tradeless leafs team.

I’ve wondered the same. Leafs fans really do like him, for the most part. But for some reason people act like he’s worth nothing. He’s not. He might fetch a first if traded.

Nossir, i love the dude but he gets a late 2nd at the ABSOLUTE most, and ill get hate for saying even that. We do love him we just need Sandin in the lineup to continue to develop, if he proves himself as a RD, YOUR IN KID!!

Then why hasnt he? Why have we played defensemen like Hainsey and Ceci over him on the right? We have young guys waiting behind him ready to contribute in Sandin. The idea that he can play on the right is made up. He hasn't yet despite a ton of need and opportunity but yet through multiple coaches he hasn't been able to. Its because he cant play the right side despite how much you wish it to be true.

I don't think Dermott has gotten a fair shake on the right side. I say we bridge him this year and really try him on the right and see if he can do it. Babcock would give him about 5 seconds on the top pair and at the first glitch he'd shove him back down to the third pair. I think a year with increased minutes playing on the right, we can see what he does.

tbh, personally I'm not confident, and I say if a trade comes along for any value, we use that cap to instead sign a proven right side guy. but that's just my opinion

Incorrect.

There was like 10 games this year with Rielly, Muzzin and Dermott in the lineup. Leafs had 3 RHD this year that stayed healthy for the most part, and when Ceci was hurt, Rielly was already out. So why would Leafs force dermott to his off-side, just to force a RHD to their off-side. As poorly as Ceci looked at times this year, he was at least a 6th dman, they weren't bringing up Sandin to force Ceci to the pressbox.

Prior to that Babcock had his favourites in Hainsey and Zaitsev.

There really has never been a time in the last 2 years for Dermott to flip to his off-side for any length of time.

Leaf fans don't like him because he has a touch of Gardiner in him (his mistakes are usually at terrible times). Also the main reason it seems is that he was the first and only player to ever have a slow recovery from an injury that cost him his entire off-season and start of the season - and he regressed in lots of people's eyes. I guess that can't be forgiven unless it's a star player.

IMO unless a clear youngish upgrade in acquired I would keep him. I would like to see him get a shot at RD with Muzzin. Muzzin played with a lefty for a long time in LA (Martinez). They are are the Leafs two best neutral zone defenders (exceptional gap control). Both can play move the puck, play physical, Dermott has a bit of pest in him, so they'd be a pain in the ass shutdown pair to play against. Dermott is mobile enough to partner with Muzz (Muzz only weakness is not the best footspeed).

This would allow Rielly and Holl to take majority of OZ starts.

This is based on current roster, things can change if the pick up another D.

He actually has from time to time, you just don’t notice because he fits seamlessly. No he hasn’t been given a full time spot there and that is something that baffles me. He also jumped right into the ahl on the right side and spent his entire time on the right. That is how he made the leafs.

An even bigger issue is why hasn’t Dermott got more ice time in general? He has looked great.

He’s 22, and already played nhl for 3 years (well, he might be 23). If Kappy got 15th overall plus, Dermott should get a pick in the late 20’s early 30’s.

I’d say leafs fans do like him. But non leafs fans think a 2nd is too much for him. He’s underrated criminally.

I don't hate him, but he hasn't taken that step forward that I thought he would.

He's a solid NHL player.... but a good 3rd pairing defenseman might be all he is. Which is valuable, just not what Leafs fans wanted.

He may not take that next step, but I don't think holding last year against him is completely fair. Young players that have major injuries and miss entire off-seasons and the start of seasons tend to hit a bit of a wall. Nylander is a perfect example. Hyman is a prefect example that it doesn't happen to everyone, but I would think it's way more common to struggle after an injury as opposed to pull a Hyman.

If he's given a shot next season, either in the Top 4 or with a decent partner on 3rd pair, and still doesn't take that step, I'll be willing to concede he's a bottom pair guy then.

Also, if he has to be moved in order to get/make room for a legit youngish Top 4 RHD, then I'm fine with that, but dealing him for 3rd and signing Gudas would piss me off.

I think a decent number of fans feel the same way about him as they do about Kappy or Johnsson, they seem to not have any patience for young players unless they show improvement each and every year.

Hard to fault other fanbases for underrating him, considering he's either traded or completely forgotten about in 75% on Leaf fans ACGM.

That's fair. This upcoming season is massive for him.

I’d say he’s only forgotten about in the odd one.

Seems like 1 in 5 of posts on here is asking where's Dermott?

Maybe. I never do, that’s for sure. He’s probably our 3rd best Dman.