Leafs' Matthews: Rookie D-man Dermott 'makes guys around him better'

With illness sweeping through the Toronto Maple Leafs' dressing room, the team hasn't had to look far to fill the void in its ailing lineup.

Playing with a depleted blue line against the New York Islanders on Wednesday, Toronto skated away with a 5-0 victory, as rookie D-men Travis Dermott and Justin Holl scored their first career goals.

While Holl is likely to be sent back to the AHL once some regulars return to health, it appears as though Dermott has shown enough to warrant further evaluation with the big club, according to star center Auston Matthews at least.

"He's got a lot of confidence," Matthews said after Wednesday's win, per Chris Johnston of Sportsnet. "He's not afraid to carry the puck. He's skilled. He can play both ways with the puck. Good skater. Sees the ice well. Makes guys around him better so it's always fun going out there with guys that can play like that."

Dermott, 21, has appeared in nine games for the Leafs after being drafted 34th overall in 2015, recording a goal and two assists in an average of 15:36 of ice time per game.

He's also posted a Corsi For rating of 54.79 in 5-on-5 play, meaning he's been on the ice for more shot attempts for Toronto than against.

The Leafs are well locked into an Atlantic Division playoff spot with the trade deadline set for Feb. 26, and Dermott's emergence may give management reason to pause before looking to drastically upgrade the blue line.