Good signs from injured Leafs defenseman Travis Dermott on Monday morning.

The Toronto Maple Leafs got a bit of good news on Monday morning although it would appear that there remains still a bit of a ways to go at this point.

Thanks to a video published on social media by Sportsnet's National Hockey League insider Chris Johnston, we know that prior to the Toronto Maple Leafs morning skate on Monday injured Maple Leafs defenseman Travis Dermott was out on the ice getting some skating in while wearing a red no contact jersey. 

Dermott has of course been out of the line up since late February when he was injured by a questionable hit from Edmonton Oilers forward Brad Malone in the third period of that particular match up. It was obvious immediately following the hit that Dermott had been seriously hurt as he was noticeably in pain out on the ice and was clutching at his left arm as he left the ice. It would not be until after the game however that we would learn that Dermott would miss weeks of action due to the injury that he suffered during the game.

It was a particularly tough blow for a Maple Leafs team that has seen their blue line be their greatest weakness all season long and it was made even more difficult a situation by the fact that the Leafs were already down one of their top defenseman with Jake Gardiner already on the sidelines. The return of Dermott would be huge for the Maple Leafs but I would urge fans not to take today's news as an indication that he is going to be back out on the ice for Leafs games anytime soon. 

Dermott skated before practice which is an indication that he has still not fully recovered and his red no contact jersey only serves as more proof that he still has a way to go in his recovery process. Nonetheless there is also no question that having him out on the ice today was a positive sign and hopefully this is the first step for Dermott on his road back to the main roster. Obviously the Leafs would love to have him back before the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs kick off roughly a month from now.

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