It has been said canonically that you can never go home again, but that’s simply not true for Max Domi. Domi found permanence in his seventh NHL stop, joining the Toronto Maple Leafs, where he’s already royalty due to his father’s tenure with the club at the turn of the century. Domi played both centre and wing and it often was a tale of two seasons for the 29-year-old, who was asked to take on a number of different roles in Sheldon Keefe’s system.
The goal — Maintain second half form to remain one of the NHL’s best 5-on-5 playmakers
It may seem silly, but the goal for Domi is really to avoid a slow start to the year. Domi tends to generate offense in spurts and the only game that really stands out prior to December was a two-assist performance against the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he ignited Matthew Knies in a comeback October 21 victory. Domi will begin the year alongside William Nylander and Calle Jarnkrok and the goal for him is to find Nylander in prime scoring opportunities, keep the puck alive and attack other teams viciously in transition.
Domi is an underrated skater and he really aims to punish teams off the rush — this obviously could be misinterpreted but he had the same amount of rush attempts at 5-on-5 as Connor McDavid last season, indicating at the very least, a willingness to attack in an uptempo style. There were seemingly countless instances of Domi wiring a perfectly placed lateral pass to an oncoming teammate crashing the net and his vision and tenacity will be relied upon.
If Domi is spending the majority of the year on the wing, then the goal is simplified: win pucks back, look for Nylander at all times, and continue to buy into Craig Berube’s emphasis on a north-south game where the Maple Leafs can use their team speed to beat opponents. Calle Jarnkrok effectively functions as the defensive safety valve on the line, so while Domi will need to continue to track back — he’ll never be a defensive stopper — he can go full speed ahead and cook opponents with his superior lateral vision.
The expectation — Domi’s positional versatility to pay dividends in the playoffs
You’ll see me write about this time and again throughout the season but positional flexibility is a core component of most modern title teams and Domi exemplifies this quality for the Maple Leafs. Domi took a few reps at centre throughout training camp and his ability to adapt throughout the lineup could pay dividends in the playoffs, where in-game adjustments are paramount.
Domi sported a plus-16 goal differential at 5-on-5 and he’s too far into his career to course correct his defensive lapses, but there is an expectation that he will track back at the expense of offence if he’s playing through the middle, especially during the playoffs. But there isn’t much to correct from Domi’s game as a winger. It’s on him to keep banging away at loose pucks, while showing tenacity on the forecheck, usually as F1 or F2 while Jarnkrok waits as F3.
Domi may come alive during the playoffs. Mats Sundin told The Leafs Nation in February that he expected Domi to be a very important part of the Maple Leafs’ run during the playoffs, and we’re sure that his assessment still holds true for the upcoming season.
MAX DOMI 🚨
TIE GAME 14 SECONDS LATER! pic.twitter.com/qkC2cb57Bq
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) April 22, 2024
Domi’s playmaking and tenacity are core assets for a win-now Maple Leafs team. And if he helps the Maple Leafs lift their first Stanley Cup since 1967, Max Domi will join his father as franchise royalty.
All stats from Natural Stat Trick and NHL.com
