DONE DEAL: The Detroit Red Wings Have Officially acquired Best Center Max Domi from the Toronto Maple Leaf in Intriguing Deal, following Max Domi decision to opt-out of his four years left on his eight-year, $60 million deal with the Maple Leafs after the play-offs. According to ESPN, Max Domi signed a blockbuster eight year $97m contract with the Red Wings prior to…… See more:

Max Domi is expensive depth or tough trade for the Maple Leafs

Max Domi is a problem for the Toronto Maple Leafs. He might also have the potential to be a solution though, albeit one heavily based in wishful thinking.

It’s not a controversial opinion to say that eight goals and 33 points in 74 games doesn’t cut it for a $3.75M forward who doesn’t have much to his game beyond his offensive zone playmaking abilities. If a player is going to be paid to score it seems reasonable to expect that at least a 0.5 point per game rate would be achievable, and that there would be some ability to create offence even when not playing with top talent. Domi didn’t deliver on that. If Domi is in fact a playmaker, 17 assists on goals not belonging to Nylander or Tavares is a problem. The fact that 19 of his 33 points came against non-playoff teams also some limits in who he can produce against.

The 74-game regular season did some redemption in the post season. Seven points, including three goals in 13 games is what should be expected of Domi. A more disciplined version of Domi would likely have resulted in praise for his playoff performance, but instead it can just be flagged as better than the regular season.

While criticizing Domi’s production is warranted, there is a legitimate reason for it. The Maple Leafs relied on Domi at centre far too often throughout the year. It has always been a bad idea and one that should have only been relied on as a last resort but despite the need for a third line centre from before the first game of the preseason, Brad Treliving came up short in addressing that gap and when Scott Laughton wasn’t ready to be more than a fourth line option, once again Craig Berube had little option but to rely on Domi playing a role he isn’t capable of.

There is also some consideration that needs to be given to the fact that Domi’s greatest success as a Leaf came alongside Auston Matthews in the later part of the 2023-24 season. That duo rarely saw time together in 2024-25. Additionally, Domi lacked consistent linemates, and while he spent a good chunk of the year with Bobby McMann and Nick Robertson, that trio was far from a permanent fixture, and Domi was moved through the lineup potentially more than he is capable of handling.

Criticisms and excuses aside, the fact is Domi is not living up to his $3.75M cap hit and the Leafs need to determine what to do with him.

Getting rid of him

The easiest thing to say on the outside of the organization is to get rid of the problems and underperformers. Without a clear fit for Domi and potential for that cap space being used with a player more in tune with the direction of Craig Berube makes a lot of sense, but it isn’t that simple.

The buyout on Max Domi, thanks to his signing bonuses, results in $2.75M of his $3.75M AAV staying on the books for the next three seasons and then there are three more years of $500k dead cap space hits. As plainly as it can be put, Domi is not going to be bought out. The Leafs would actually get more cap relief and avoid the final three years of $500k cap hits by putting Domi in the AHL. To state the obvious, that’s not happening either.

Buyouts are generally a last resort option anyway, what would make sense from the Leafs perspective is seeing if they can trade Domi. The catch there is that $3.75M cap hit the Leafs don’t like isn’t going to be too popular with other teams either. The Leafs also have a 13-team no trade list to deal with and presumably Domi and his agent will be very strategic about the teams that they place on that to further handcuff the Leafs.

Where the Leafs would see some potential interest in dealing Domi is after his $2.5M signing bonus is paid this summer. That leaves Domi with $1.5M of salary that would need to be paid for the rest of this season, and $3M of salary and bonuses to be paid in each of the remaining two seasons after for a total of $7.5M on what would be $11.25M of cap hit. That is something that potentially resonates with budget conscience teams, especially those that are concerned with how they will be able to keep up with the raising salary cap.

With some salary retention, certainly not requiring the Leafs eating half of Domi’s contract, Max would find a bit of a market as well. The Leafs retaining around $1.25M of Domi’s AAV right-sizes his cap hit to what he would deliver, and while the Leafs might not want the dead cap space, it is potentially the easiest path forward if Toronto is set on moving on from Domi.

Finding the right place in the roster if the Leafs keep him

If Mitch Marner moves on from the Maple Leafs, understandably some want to consider what Max Domi could do as Auston Matthews’ set up man. That is putting a lot of faith in Max Domi who doesn’t have a resume that warrants that spot. The Bertuzzi-Matthews-Domi line of late 2023-24 had some success, and Matthew Knies looks like a reasonable alternative to Bertuzzi but the reality is that Matthews will probably see a higher end talent like William Nylander take up residency on his wing. Domi could be an interesting Plan B or situational option depending on the opponent, but swapping out a 100-point winger for a 33-point winger doesn’t need much additional evidence to support way it’s a bad idea, so I’ll skip the Marner vs. Domi defensive comparison.

Domi and Tavares has never worked. And when team defence is an area of concern for the Maple Leafs, having the second line being even less capable of defending than it was this season would see Craig Berube reach his breaking point early in the year. Tavares and Domi combining on just three goals together in the past two seasons points to a lack of chemistry as well despite the fact you’d think that a veteran playmaker and veteran finisher could be a natural fit.

And it should also go without saying the Leafs can’t afford to consider Domi a Plan A or a Plan B centre again next year. Plan C at best. Let him take some faceoffs from time to time, but besides some success on the draw, there isn’t much appeal in revisiting the centre position again.

What the Leafs need from Domi is something closer to what Max Pacioretty provided. He needs to embrace a bit more of a physical presence, finish his hits and be noticed when he’s not holding the puck. He needs to be an offensive catalyst that gets something out of bottom six players while playing more of a bottom six game. He needs to be playoff Domi in the regular season, but more trustworthy. If Domi can do that, putting him alongside someone like Scott Laughton, that the Leafs should be looking to get more out of as well, and potentially a promising rookie like Easton Cowan and there is some potential for a hard line to play against that can be trusted in more situations. The problem there is that you could easily hand Domi’s role over to Bobby McMann and he could fit it just as easily. Or depending on if the preference is towards defensive hockey or goal scoring, Pontus Holmberg or Nick Robertson could just as easily be the fit. Domi is still the expensive option.

The appeal on Domi might be as depth. Expensive depth, but depth. The Leafs are almost certainly going to have a new-ish look to their forward group next year and in the process of trying out new things and some patience being required for learning curves, Domi is adequate filler where needed. Without knowing for certain what will come next for the Leafs, Max at least seems like an understudy that Treliving and Berube would consider for a number of roles, and that might be enough to earn him another year with the Leafs to see if he can turn things around.