The Toronto Maple Leafs are a team that should capitalize on the signing of Max Domi to a one-year, $3 million contract as one of the best centers available this year. He jumped quite a bit for being 28 years old and was a high draft pick in 2013. Drafted by the Arizona Coyotes, he has spent time on six different teams, including the Coyotes, Montreal Canadiens, Columbus Blue Jackets, Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks , and the Dallas Stars.
Domi has made a huge return to form in 2022-23 as he put together a similar season to what he has been used to. Surprisingly, he was the Blackhawks MVP last season until he was dealt at the trade deadline, scoring 18 goals and 49 points in 60 games for their number one spot. In a season where he signed a one-year contract hoping to get back into the sixth tier, he got the chance and did just that, impressing a lot of teams.
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The Stars were the ones who took advantage of him and picked him up on deadline to see him take some time to fit into the regular season but Big impact in the playoffs. He scored just two goals and seven points in 20 regular season games in Dallas, but during their run to the Western Conference Final, he scored three goals, 13 points, and added 52 penalty minutes in 19 games. In every aspect of the game last season, Domi proved he can be trusted in a bigger role once again and should add value to the Maple Leafs lineup.
Domi fit with maple leaves
After back-to-back seasons where Domi slipped to mediocrity in the bottom six, he returned with a vengeance in 2022-23. Not only did he discover how to be effective in the confrontational circuit, but his courage and determination did not vanish either when his scoring touch returned. For the most part, he stays healthy, which would be a huge bonus for the Maple Leafs. With his offensive numbers dropping during the regular season due to reduced ice time and power play time, they’ll need to make sure they can provide that for him if they want to get every bit of the value from this contract and succeed as a team. (From “Signing Depth, Defense Corps Promotions in the Leafs’ To-Do List by Brad Treliving,” Toronto SunJuly 1, 2023).
The Maple Leafs have lost a few key support players this offseason in Michael Bunting, Alex Kerfoot, Ryan O’Reilly, and Noel Acciari, and are on their way to getting more and more difficult to play against. Tyler Bertuzzi takes Bunting’s place in the lineup, so expect Domi to play a similar role to Kerfoot. It can be used on the second line to load the top six or assist the third line. He is capable of playing on the wing or in the middle, but last season he proved to be strong against the points and could be utilized there again.
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Domi’s expectation is to help the Maple Leafs struggle harder, wear down opponents with his antics. The team is generally very strong during the regular season, so the playoffs are where he will have to step up his game like he did during last All-Star season. Brad Treliving’s free agency may have been in question at first, but he’s done more than redeem himself with recent signings like this one, giving the Maple Leafs a real chance to go for it this season.