Utah Hockey Club Shockingly Place Defenseman on Waivers After Recently Claiming Him
The Utah Hockey Club has placed a defenseman on waivers, only a few weeks after claiming him.
In breaking news, the Utah Hockey Club has placed the defenseman Dakota Mermis on waivers only three weeks after claiming him from the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The insider Elliotte Friedman confirmed the news with a post on X:
After sustaining an injury before the start of the season, Mermis, who signed a one-year, $775k contract with the Maple Leafs this summer, only took part in one game this season.
Indeed, he was claimed by Utah when the Leafs sent him down to the AHL for a conditioning stint.
The team was seemingly looking to find a replacement for their injured defensemen Maveric Lamoureux, John Marino, and Sean Durzi.
He had a chance to help Utah but had a -2 rating in his only game, with just over 10 minutes of ice time.
In his career, the 30-year-old defenseman took part in 75 NHL games for the Arizona Coyotes, New Jersey Devils, Minnesota Wild, and Utah despite being undrafted.
Last season, in 47 games with the Wild, he scored eight points, including three goals, the highest tally of his career.
While he doesn't seem ready to get a full-time role in the NHL now, spending some time in the AHL could help him find his rhythm.
He could provide valuable depth at the blue line for any team down the road. It'll be interesting to see if he gets claimed once again.
Stay tuned for further updates on the NHL waiver wire.
Meanwhile, Utah is currently at the sixth spot in the Central Division rankings with a 16-15-5 record. The team will look to stop their losing streak to five games tonight as they face the Calgary Flames.
