Dakota Mermis has just been assigned by the Leafs to an LTIR Conditioning Loan, which means the team gets to avoid losing him on waivers and they save money. Maple Leafs free-agent signing Dakota Mermis, who was recovering from jaw surgery, made his first appearance on the ice this season Wednesday. To get back into game shape, <a href='https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/maple-leafs-send-d-dakota-mermis-to-ahls-marlies-for-conditioning/' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Mermis was assigned to the Marlies for conditioning</a>, the step before an eventual return to the NHL. <div align='center'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/LeafsPR/status/1861767094179627391'> </a></blockquote></div> Mermis had a tough couple of months after taking a puck to the mouth that required jaw surgery. He spoke with 'The Hockey News' about the injury, the frustrations of a long layoff, and his dedication to staying in shape, even giving a shout-out to the Leafs' kitchen staff for great protein shakes. The rugged defenseman has 74 games in the league with 12 points for Arizona, New Jersey, and Minnesota. An undrafted rearguard, Mermis broke into the league on the heels of a solid season-plus with the London Knights. Toronto's move to send Mermis to the Marlies is very consistent with how NHL teams operate. <a href='https://www.hockeylatest.com/nhl-team/toronto-maple-leafs/leafs-under-fire-for-ltir-cap-circumvention-with-matt-murray' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>The team even did this with goaltender Matt</a> Murray last season. <div align='center'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/dalter/status/1861777494019330054'> </a></blockquote></div> The Leafs will have Mermis on LTIR Conditioning Loans, meaning he remains NHL-paid but plays games while not affecting the salary cap and avoiding waivers. Gary Bettman likely isn't too pleased about this. The Leafs have done this before with guys like Connor Dewar, Jani Hakanpaa, and Philippe Myers. The LTIR Conditioning Loan rules give teams flexibility: no cap penalties, roster spots preserved, and players returning from injury are evaluated. For Mermis, this is a good opportunity to prove he's ready for an NHL role.