3 Key Takeaways After Toronto Maple Leafs First 3 Games

3 Key Takeaways After Toronto Maple Leafs First 3 Games

No. 1: Max Domi Signing May Be a Mistake

You can’t say we didn’t warn you! 

If Max Domi’s last name wasn’t what it was, or if he wasn’t a former No. 12 overall draft pick, would he be making $3M this year?

Doubtful.

Like, if his name was John Smith and he was drafted in the third round, would we really be giving this type of player this much attention?

I know he has two 20-goal season’s in his career, but Domi’s $3M contract looks like an overpayment after three games because he hasn’t done anything.

And it’s not just three games – for most of his career, Max Domi has barely been worth more than a replacement player.  That means you could call up any random AHL player and get the same thing for the league minimum that Domi gives you for his salary.

When I think of Domi, I thought of a gritty, physical player with high offensive upside on the power-play, yet we haven’t seen that, yet. Instead, we’ve seen a player who hasn’t fit in beside super-skilled players like John Tavares and William Nylander and was demoted to the third line.

Calle Jarnkrok has replaced him, and Domi is now slotted playing alongside Matthew Knies and Fraser Minten. That could end up being a nice third-line if Domi gets his act together, but I’d almost rather see a promotion from Nick Robertson and see a third-line filled with young players and high-end skill.

Hopefully he can figure out it, but returning home could’ve been a mistake.