The Toronto Maple Leafs entered the 2023-24 season with some question marks in their forward group.
Despite the acquisition of Tyler Bertuzzi, the Toronto Maple Leafs forward group had some issues with its depth, mainly in the bottom-six.
The third-line center spot on the roster was a clear question mark, with the spot being taken by David Kampf before the season started, despite it being very clear that he doesn’t have the offense for the role.
While David Kampf is a useful player, he’s definitely more suitable as a 4th liner as opposed to being on the third line.
After a rough start to the season, Max Domi has turned his game up a notch, and with newfound linemates, he now fits the 3rd-line center role perfectly on the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Toronto Maple Leafs: Max Domi Filling Key Role
With a 2-assist game a few nights ago vs Vancouver, Domi now has a 4-game point streak, and has now upped his season total to 9 points in 15 games.
Despite not scoring a single goal all season, as well as having a slow start to the year as a whole, Domi has been put in a new position on the third line, accompanied on the wing by Calle Jarnkrok and recent call-up Nick Robertson, who may be the most overlooked player on the team.
Even with no goals on the season, Domi did contribute a shootout beauty last week, which helped the Leafs clinch a win vs the Calgary Flames.
Other than the brief appearance of Ryan O’Reilly, it’s not since Nazem Kadri that the Leafs third-line center position has truly been solidified.
In recent years, the Leafs bottom two forward lines have been a revolving door of prospects, depth players, and veterans looking for playing time.
Domi as the third-line center adds some much-needed stability to the bottom six, and his new chemistry with Robertson and Jarnkrok gives the Leafs a strong 3rd line which rivals some of the best in the league.
In short, Max Domi has found some new life with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and their third line will look to keep their terrific play up for the rest of the season.
Let’s see if they can do it.