Dakota Mermis. Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images

Maple Leafs ramp up trade speculation with late transaction

Originally posted on Maple Leafs Daily
By Ryan Smitheram | Last updated Feb 9, 2025 4:14 PM ET

The Maple Leafs made a late-night roster move on Saturday as they head into the 4 Nations break, which has led to speculation that general manager Brad Treliving is working on a trade.

Signed to a one-year deal in the offseason, Dakota Mermis missed almost the entire first half of the season due to a broken jaw that he suffered during training camp.

Upon being deemed cleared to play, Mermis had to go through waivers where he was claimed by the Utah Hockey Club.

He got into one game with Utah HC before being reclaimed by the Leafs.

The 31-year-old was recalled on Feb. 3 by the Leafs due to the injury scare with Oliver Ekman-Larsson, but was never able to get into game action. After the 2-1 loss to Vancouver on Saturday, the Leafs returned Mermis to the Marlies.

Sending Mermis back to the AHL frees up a roster spot, which, along with the Marlies holding of a pair of top prospects in Fraser Minten and Nikita Grebenkin out of the lineup in back-to-back games, has fueled speculation that Treliving has a trade in the works.

With the Leafs not in action until Feb. 22, now would be the perfect time for a new player (or two) to get accustomed to a new team and new systems, especially with the type of player the Leafs are targeting.

The 4 Nations break will give those not playing a chance to rest and recover, but it could also lead to general managers using the time to get their pre-deadline shopping done in the hopes of beating deadline day prices.

This article first appeared on Maple Leafs Daily and was syndicated with permission.

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