Music: {allcanada} Leafs place defenceman Mermis on waivers

Tuesday, January 27, 2026

{allcanada} Leafs place defenceman Mermis on waivers

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The Toronto Maple Leafs placed defenceman Dakota Mermis on waivers on Monday.

Mermis has been sidelined since Dec. 8 with a knee injury and was assigned to the AHL's Toronto Marlies on an LTIR conditioning loan last week. He has gone without a point in three games with the Marlies.

The 32-year-old blueliner has one goal in 11 games for the Leafs this season, averaging 13:02 of ice time a night. He is currently in the first year of a two-year, $1.625 million deal.

Mermis was hurt after taking knee-on-knee hit from Tampa Bay Lightning forward Gage Goncalves in December. Goncalves was given a five-minute major and a game misconduct on the play.

A native of Alton, IL, Mermis is in his second stint with the Maple Leafs, having been claimed off waivers from Utah in January of 2025.

Undrafted out of the Ontario Hockey League's London Knights, Mermis has appeared in 14 games over two seasons with the Leafs.

Having made his NHL debut in 2018, Mermis has appeared in 89 games across nine seasons with the Leafs, Utah/Arizona Coyotes, Minnesota Wild and New Jersey Devils.

For his career, Mermis has five goals and nine assists.

Elsewhere, the Columbus Blue Jackets waived former Maple Leafs forward Zach Aston-Reese and forward Brendan Gaunce.