Back to the Toronto Maple Leafs Newsfeed

Quick Thoughts: Preseason Game #1, Ottawa Senators 6 vs. Toronto Maple Leafs 2

Related Topics: Toronto Maple Leafs

A few thoughts, mostly about those on the bubble:

Travis Dermott did his chances of winning the spot on the bottom-pairing left side no harm last night. When he goes back on a puck defensively, he’s an excellent problem solver; there was one play in particular late in the second where he pulled off a nifty between-the-legs bump pass that kick-started the transition the other way. His gap control was excellent, and he’s aggressive about stepping up in the neutral zone to disrupt entries — all enabled by very quick feet and smart reads. He made countless good decisions under pressure in this game.