Mermis has played one game in the NHL this season, with the Utah Hockey Club in mid-December. Sep 24, 2024; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Dakota Mermis (36) follows the puck in the first period against the Ottawa Senators at the Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/4d4347bc-d322-4a17-aa8a-33db34793a08.jpeg] Sep 24, 2024; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Dakota Mermis (36) follows the puck in the first period against the Ottawa Senators at the Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images Dakota Mermis will join the Toronto Maple Leafs on their flight to Carolina and play against the Hurricanes on Sunday. Toronto will recall the 31-year-old ahead of their game in Carolina after playing with five defensemen in their 1-0 overtime win on Saturday versus the Montreal Canadiens. Mermis signed a one-year, $775,000 contract in the summer but has yet to play a game with the Maple Leafs. Toronto was forced to play with five defensemen because of salary cap restraints after Jake McCabe and Oliver Ekman-Larsson suffered undisclosed injuries. Mitch Marner took some shifts on the back-end against Montreal, something he's done plenty of times before. "I like it back there. I think I expressed that to you guys last year. I don’t feel lost or uncomfortable," he said on Saturday night. "I try to not make it difficult on myself, just try to make easy, quick plays. I enjoy it back there when I get the chance to play D, to be honest." After playing a player short, the Maple Leafs can bring up Mermis from the AHL on an emergency basis. His cap hit is below the $875,000 threshold and will count as $0 towards Toronto's cap. Why The Maple Leafs Will Dress 5 Defensemen Against The Canadiens On Saturday [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/029561c8-17e3-4318-a359-964a3c3069c8.jpeg] Why The Maple Leafs Will Dress 5 Defensemen Against The Canadiens On Saturday The Toronto Maple Leafs will likely dress one player short when they host the Montreal Canadiens at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/why-the-maple-leafs-will-dress-5-defensemen-against-the-canadiens-on-saturday] Neither McCabe nor Ekman-Larsson will travel with the team to Carolina. Head coach Craig Berube confirmed on Friday that McCabe will return to the lineup before the regular season concludes. Mermis has spent most of the season in the AHL with the Toronto Marlies. He joined the Utah Hockey Club for part of this year after being claimed by the club on waivers on Dec. 13. He appeared in one game with Utah before being placed on waivers again. Mermis was picked back up by the Maple Leafs on Jan. 3 and was immediately assigned to the Marlies. Jake McCabe Expected To Return To Maple Leafs' Lineup Before Regular Season Ends, Other Injury Notes [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/9e85ec3b-dac2-43c8-a39f-55a00e803984.jpeg] Jake McCabe Expected To Return To Maple Leafs' Lineup Before Regular Season Ends, Other Injury Notes McCabe has been out of the lineup with an undisclosed injury since April 2. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/jake-mccabe-expected-to-return-to-maple-leafs-lineup-before-regular-season-ends-other-injury-notes] Mermis has seven assists in 32 games with the AHL club. He plays in almost all situations with the Marlies and has recently been an assistant captain after Kyle Clifford went down with an injury. The Alton, Illinois native has played 75 NHL games, split between Utah, the Arizona Coyotes, the New Jersey Devils, and the Minnesota Wild. He has four goals and eight assists and has averaged 14:25 of ice time in that span. Toronto has three more regular season games: Sunday against Carolina, Tuesday vs. Buffalo, and Thursday at home against the Detroit Red Wings. Their win on Saturday against Montreal gives them home-ice advantage in the first round, no matter who they face. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stay updated with the most interesting Maple Leafs stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwytvfCA?ceid=CA:en&oc=3] to never miss a story.
