Travis Dermott was shocked when the Maple Leafs picked him with the 34th overall pick during the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.



Usually, most players have some idea which team are interested in them based on the interview process leading up to the draft, but the Newmarket native had no clue he was on Toronto’s radar.



“I was thinking about a whole bunch of places, but for some reason, it just didn’t pop into my head as one of the possibilities,” said Dermott.



More than a year later, Dermott is becoming one of the Toronto Marlies best defencemen in his first season with the organization and could even see NHL action as soon as next year, if his progress continues.



Back during the selection process, the Leafs always had a high opinion of Dermott, and his drafting signalled a significant shift in the organization’s philosophy. Skill became the rule of law under their then-newly minted draft guru Mark Hunter, who started his...