After recalling him from his conditioning loan two days ago, the Vancouver Canucks have activated defenseman Travis Dermott off of long-term injured reserve. (LTIR)
This activation puts Dermott in a position to make his season debut for Vancouver. The move puts eight defensemen now on the team’s active roster. Riley Stillman will likely come out of the lineup in favor of Dermott, landing Dermott on a pair with veteran Luke Schenn.
The Canucks acquired Dermott, 26, from the Toronto Maple Leafs in a trade last season. He played 17 games for the Canucks, scoring two points. He didn’t play a huge role in that time, featuring only sporadically on special teams while playing in just under 17 minutes a night.
Previously, Dermott had been seen as a promising young blueliner for the Maple Leafs, who picked him 34th overall at the 2015 draft. Injuries had been a consistent issue, though, and the most games played he’s registered in a season in his career has been 64.
With this activation from LTIR, Dermott will hope to remain healthy for an extended period. If he can match availability with quality play, he’ll put himself in a strong position for the summer, when he’ll be an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent.