The Arizona Coyotes have signed defenseman Travis Dermott to a one-year contract, CapFriendly reported Tuesday afternoon.
Dermott, 26, appeared in 11 NHL games with the Vancouver Canucks during the 2022-23 regular season, scoring just one goal and averaging 13:45 a night.
The six-foot defenseman, who shoots on the left, also appeared in an American Hockey League game with the Abbotsford Canucks in 2022-23 as part of his recovery process after a concussion he suffered during the pre-season.
Dermott’s return to the NHL lasted less than a month. He continued to experience concussion symptoms after making his season debut on December 29 and eventually played his final game as a Canuck on January 25 before being returned to injured reserve. The Canucks opted out of making a qualifying offer to Dermott in June, making him an unrestricted free agent.
According to CapFriendly, Dermott’s new contract with the Coyotes carries an NHL cap of $800,000. He will be paid $450,000 for his time in the AHL during the 2023-24 season.
The Toronto Maple Leafs originally selected Dermott in the second round (34th overall) of the 2015 NHL Draft. The Newmarket, Ont., product spent three seasons in the OHL with the Erie Otters before establishing himself as a full-time pro with the Toronto Marlies in the 2016-17 season.
Dermott helped the Marlies win the Calder Cup in 2018. That same year, the 22-year-old defenseman played his first 37 NHL games with the Maple Leafs, collecting 13 points; he also appeared in all seven of the club’s games in the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
In 2018-19, Dermott set career highs in goals (four), assists (13), points (17) and games played (64), averaging 17:18 per night. Its usage increased slightly to 17:19 per game in 2019-20 before dropping significantly in subsequent seasons.
The Canucks acquired Dermott from the Maple Leafs at the 2022 trade deadline in exchange for a third-round pick in that year’s draft. He scored one goal and one assist averaging 16:54 per night in 17 games for the Canucks to close out the 2021-22 regular season.
In 279 career NHL games over six seasons with the Maple Leafs and Canucks, Dermott had 14 goals and 55 points averaging 15:49 of ice time. He added two goals and five points in 22 career playoff games.
Dermott will fight for ice time as part of a Coyotes defensive squad that also includes JJ Moser, Sean Durzi, Juuso Valimaki, Troy Stecher, Josh Brown and Victor Soderstrom.
