Sep. 13: The Oilers made Dermott’s PTO official today.
Sep. 10: The Edmonton Oilers have signed defenseman Travis Dermott to a professional try-out contract, first reported by Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli and later by Sportsnet’s Mark Spector. The deal gives Dermott a chance to earn a deal with his third Canadian club, having previously played five years in Toronto and two in Vancouver.
Dermott signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Arizona Coyotes last summer. He spent the entirety of the deal on the NHL roster, though injuries limited him to just 50 games. He struggled to find the scoresheet, netting just seven points on the year. That wasn’t enough to earn a new deal, leaving Dermott an unrestricted free agent as Arizona moved to Utah.
Dermott now finds himself signing try-outs in what should be his prime years – a long fall for a player originally selected 34th overall in the 2015 NHL Draft. He turned pro one season later, recording 24 points in 59 games and looking stout on the defensive side of the puck as an AHL rookie. Those traits earned him a call-up the following year, where he repeated his showings in the minors with a modest 11 points in 37 games but flashes of strong defense.
He quickly became a focal piece of a bleak Leafs blue line, though a routine NHL role came with routine bouts with injuries. He’s only appeared in four seasons of 50 games or more – every year between 2018 and 2021, and last season. That surge back to routine minutes could be the spark Dermott needs to rediscover his consistency this season. To boot, he boasts an ability to play on either side, potentially filling Edmonton’s need for flexible defensive depth. But he’ll first have to earn a roster spot out of camp before he’s able to join the reigning Stanley Cup runner-ups.
He is taking another chance to get into the lineup instead of Stecher or Brown. Only difference is, they are like 2,000 miles north this time.