Oilers Reportedly Considering Adding Travis Dermott on PTO
The Edmonton Oilers have been busy this offseason as they gear up for another Stanley Cup run. Their additions of Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson in free agency and Ty Emberson in a trade make them one of the strongest contenders heading toward the new campaign. With Cody Ceci’s and Philip Broberg’s departures in two separate moves, the right side of the Oilers’ blue line doesn’t look as deep as last season. While Emberson is a solid upgrade on Ceci, they could benefit from bringing in another right-shot defender to fill out the third-pairing, or at least create internal competition between Josh Brown, and Troy Stecher, among others.
In a recent article, Kurt Leavins of the Edmonton Journal shed some light on a potential fit for the Oilers heading into camp, as they have been rumoured to be searching for a defender to add on a professional tryout contract (PTO.) As hinted at by The Hockey Writers’ Jim Parsons in his NHL Rumors column, Travis Dermott is someone they have looked into.
‘It is more likely that we could see the likes of Travis Dermott. Yes, he is a lefty but comfortably plays both sides. He was coached by (wait for it) Kris Knoblauch in Erie and was represented in the past by Jeff Jackson. There is a split-squad game with the Flames on the twenty-third. They will need 12 D-men for that. Hmmm.
Dermott has spent time with the Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs, and most recently, the Arizona Coyotes. The 27-year-old left-shot defender played 50 games last season scoring two goals and adding five assists for seven points. Throughout his career, he has scored 16 goals and added 46 assists for 62 points through 329 games. His connection to Knoblauch and Jackson makes him an enticing free agent, and he has played both sides in his career, making him a potentially solid third-pairing guy alongside Brett Kulak.
Oilers Need Defensive-Minded Addition, Dermott Fits The Bill
Oilers fans have often criticized the team’s ability to play consistent defensive hockey over the past few seasons. While last season was a strong showing in every sense and there were no real weaknesses, it’s tough to predict whether they will be able to find strength in their defensive zone with the pairings they have this season. While Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard are one of the strongest pairings in the NHL, it gets worrisome after that. The second pairing is tentatively listed as Darnell Nurse and Emberson, who could work well together, but Emberson’s lack of experience is a concern.
