Day two of free agency and the Toronto Maple Leafs sign a pair of defencemen to one-year deals. The contracts include former Minnesota Wild Dakota Mermis and former Tampa Bay Lightning Philippe Myers. Mermis and Myers both signed two-way contracts worth $775,000.
🖊️ We’ve signed the following three players to one-year contracts
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) July 2, 2024
Maple Leafs Boost Blue Line
30-year-old Mermis has spent most of his career bouncing between the AHL and NHL. For the Iowa Wild, Mermis was named captain. However, the defenceman could only play 5 games with the “C” etched on his jersey before the NHL came calling. While Minnesota dealt with blue line injuries in 2023-34 Mermis played 47 games with the club and recorded eight points. While Mermis cannot play in a top-pairing defensive spot, the 6-foot skater proved he was reliable in an NHL bottom pair. Throughout his career, Mermis has played in 74 NHL games and has recorded 12 points.
Like Mermis, 27-year-old Myers has also spent most of his career in the AHL. Last season, the 6’6″ skater played 61 games with the Syracuse Crunch and logged 23 points. As for the NHL, Myers appeared in 5 games with Tampa Bay in 2023-24. Overall, Myers has skated in 158 NHL games and recorded 36 points. Lastly, Myers became a silver medalist when he played for Team Canada at the 2017 World Juniors. It is still possible as a late developing defenceman, that Myers can be a difference maker at the NHL level. That is yet to be determined.
What Do the Defencemen Bring to Toronto?
The offseason goal was for the Toronto Maple Leafs to sign defencemen. Last season, Toronto gave up 3.18 goals per game, which is more than half a goal worse than the NHL’s best. This offseason General Manager Brad Treliving knew he needed to boost the blue. He started by signing Chris Tanev, an elite defensive defenceman, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, a rejuvenated offensive defenceman. Just on Ekman-Larsson, as he was terrific for the Florida Panthers in 2023-24, anchoring the third pair. As for Mermis and Myers, both will be bottom pairing options for the Maple Leafs if they can earn their roster spot in training camp. In Myers, the Maple Leafs now have a right-shot defenceman they have needed. Left-handed Mermis has shown reliability in regularly playing at the NHL level.
One final note, as the Leafs also added Cedric Pare. Pare is from Levis, QC. In 2023-24, with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles, he scored 14 goals and added 21 assists for 35 points in 61 games. Definitely enough to tryout for the Toronto Marlies.
Main photo: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
