After a quiet day 2 of free agency, the Toronto Maple Leafs have announced another signing, 30-year-old Dakota Mermis, to help improve their blueline depth.
The news comes from The Athletic's Jonas Siegel, who pointed out on Tuesday that Mermis is currently listed on the Leafs' active roster. Per the Leafs' official social media accounts, the deal is for 1 year at the league minimum ($775,000).
A rather obscure name in the NHL ranks, Mermis, an undrafted defenseman, has had to take the path less traveled to get to the NHL, using the ECHL and AHL to hone his skills.
Last season, Mermis found his way into a career high 47 NHL games with the Minnesota Wild, producing 3 goals, 8 points and 33 penalty minutes. He was a -2 in that span.
The Leafs have put a strong focus on adding defensemen this summer, having now inked veteran Chris Tanev, Stanley Cup champion Oliver Ekman-Larsson, bruising depth defenser Jani Hakanpaa and now Mermis, giving the team plenty of options on the blueline.
Listed at 6'0 and 195 pounds, Mermis is more than likely to begin his tenure with the Maple Leafs with the AHL's Toronto Marlies, but it's always nice to have defensemen down there with NHL experience who can be recalled in a pinch when the injury bug bites.
