Maple Leafs Recall Veteran Defenceman on Emergency Basis Ahead of Sunday's Game
Photo credit: Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images
After defeating the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night with just 5 defencemen, the Leafs used an emergency recall to ensure they would have 6 for Sunday's game.
Due to cap constraints and an injury to Oliver Ekman-Larsson, the Leafs were forced to play short-handed on Saturday against the Montreal Canadiens.
Following the Leafs' overtime win, head coach Craig Berube confirmed that the club would be recalling veteran defenceman Dakota Mermis from the Toronto Marlies on an emergency basis.
Mermis signed a 1-year deal with the Leafs, but was claimed by the Utah Hockey Club off of waivers in mid-December while they were dealing with injury issues. Mermis was reclaimed off of waivers at the start of January by the Maple Leafs.
Mermis is eligible to be an emergency recall as his salary is below the $875K threshold and won't count against Toronto's cap.
The 31-year-old has tallied 7 assists in 32 games with the AHL's Toronto Marlies this season and has played in 75 career NHL games with four different NHL teams in Utah, the Arizona Coyotes, the New Jersey Devils, and the Minnesota Wild.
How long Mermis will remain with the Leafs is unknown currently, but with uncertainty around Ekman-Larsson's injury, Mermis could even potentially find himself in the lineup for Game 1 of the playoffs.
| POLL | ||
AVRIL 13 | 2263 ANSWERS Maple Leafs Recall Veteran Defenceman on Emergency Basis Ahead of Sunday's Game Will Dakota Mermis be in the lineup for Game 1? | ||
| I hope not | 742 | 32.8 % |
| Sounds like he could be | 741 | 32.7 % |
| Who knows | 780 | 34.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
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