Leafs recall Mermis, McWard from Marlies following IR moves
The Toronto Maple Leafs have made two call ups on Friday morning, bringing in defencemen Dakota Mermis and Cole McWard from the Toronto Marlies. This is in response to injuries to both Nick Blankenburg and Marshall Rifai, who have been placed on injured reserve.
Mermis, 32, was acquired by the Maple Leafs as a free agent signing in 2024, lost to waivers, and quickly acquired again, primarily to be used as an AHL veteran. With that said, he’s had moments of spot duty with the big club, playing three games in 2024/25, and eleven games last season, scoring a goal and adding an assist.
In the AHL, Mermis has played in 66 regular season games for the Marlies and 24 playoff games, producing 25 points (15 regular season, 10 playoffs). This year specifically, Mermis has one assist in seven games and a 58% shot attempt share at even strength.
McWard, 25, was signed by the Maple Leafs this summer, having spent most of his pro career in the AHL but playing nine NHL games over the past four years with Vancouver and the New York Islanders. He has been off to a great start with the Marlies, producing three assists in five games and holding a 64% shot attempt share at even strength.
Mermis, averaging 19:38 per game in ice time, and McWard, averaging 18:53, rank second and fourth on the Marlies in usage this year. Third on the list is Marshall Rifai, who one of them replaces, so it stands to reason why he wasn’t called up. A big question in town will be why Ben Danford, the Leafs’ 2024 first-round pick, wasn’t the one called up instead. My assumption there is that the team feels there is more to gain out of playing top minutes in the AHL than being a sixth or seventh defenceman in the NHL right now. Danford currently leads the Marlies in average even-strength ice time by a significant margin and is playing on both special teams units. That experience is likely seen as much more valuable for a 20-year-old at this stage.
Not to mention, with the Maple Leafs’ next game coming against the Edmonton Oilers, I’m sure they don’t want his first taste of the league to be going up against Connor McDavid at his absolute zenith. His opportunity will come, but it’s likely best that it waits a bit. With Mermis, they don’t have to worry so much about where and when they use him, and with McWard, it gives them an opportunity to see if there’s an NHL player there.
As mentioned, these moves are made possible by a pair of injuries. Marshall Rifai is week-to-week after suffering a lower-body injury in morning skate just a day after scoring his first NHL goal. Blankenburg’s injury cirumstances are yet to be disclosed.
The Maple Leafs and Marlies both return to the ice on Saturday, with the big club facing the Oilers in Edmonton at 7:00 p.m. while the Marlies host the Rockford Icehogs at 4:00 p.m.
