Max Domi may be playing better as of late, but he still hasn’t scored a goal as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
How is Domi getting a pass for his play thus far with the Toronto Maple Leafs?
Domi signed a one-year $3M contract in the offseason, hoping to replicate his father’s fandom in Toronto. Instead, the only thing he’s replicating is his father’s offensive production.
Fortunately for Max, he’s still sixth on the Leafs in scoring with 11 points thus far, but that’s not good enough for a player who was supposed to supply depth scoring on the third line. Also, you can thank Nick Robertson for the majority of Domi’s points, as his arrival is the only reason he has 11 assists.
In Robertson’s eight games with the Leafs, Domi has seven assists, so he’s been a beneficiary of Robertson’s elite offensive talent.
If the Leafs really want to unlock Robertson’s powers, they should find a way to put him in the top-six, but if that happens, Domi may never get a point again. Like I said at the top, he’s definitely been a better player at centre and playing alongside Robertson, but it’s Robertson who’s elevated Domi’s point totals, not the other way around.
Domi’s Play Needs to Improve Drastically for the Toronto Maple Leafs
In 19 games, Domi only has 26 shots on net, so it’s not like he’s been snake-bitten. Instead, he just hasn’t been able to generate enough chances to score on a nightly basis.
In comparison, Noah Gregor has 32 shots on net thus far and is averaging two less minutes per night on the fourth line, but he’s still been able to create some chances. He only has two goals this season, but that’s two more than Domi and you’re not expecting any offense on the fourth line, compared to the third line.
Toronto’s issue over the past few years has been depth scoring and Domi’s arrival was supposed to change that, yet it hasn’t happened, and I don’t know if it ever will.
This is just another example of how bad Brad Treliving’s vision has been for the team, as Domi, John Klingberg and Ryan Reaves have all cost this team a great opportunity to win this season. In a salary-cap world, you can’t afford to pay players over $3M to not perform, so it’s unfortunate that has happened this year, especially to a player that was supposed to be a fan-favorite.
Hopefully I’m wrong and Domi starts to find the back of the net, but I can’t see it happening anytime soon.