Max Domi
Finally, some may be surprised to see Max Domi as a part of this exclusive list. After all, didn’t the Leafs just make a huge investment in the 29-year-old center this past offseason by giving him a four-year, $15 million deal? Well, it is exactly for that reason why he suddenly finds himself in this category.
After showing some promise last year with the Leafs when he put up 9 goals and 38 assists for 47 points in 80 games played, Domi has been a big disappointment for the blue and white so far this season.
In 42 games to date, he has recorded just 3 goals and 14 assists for 17 total points. At that rate, Domi is on pace for a 6-goal, 33-point campaign, which would be his lowest offensive output ever in his 10-year NHL career (excluding the COVID-shortened 2020-21 NHL season).
Recently, the Athletic has actually named Domi as one of the under-the-radar trade targets in the league that has fallen out of favour with their team. They also pointed out that despite playing with an edge, his offensive play has left a lot to be desired, as he has generated only about 1.4 shots per game.
Added to the fact that he’s not elite defensively and doesn’t play on the penalty kill as well, it severely limits his overall contributions to the team as a result through his struggles. (All stats from NHL.com and hockeydb.com, salaries from Puckpedia.com)
Therefore, it isn’t likely the fact that teams will be rushing to grab Domi from the Leafs. But if Toronto manages to unload the underachieving forward and his salary ahead of the trade deadline, it would give them a lot more wiggle room to make a more impactful trade acquisition to help bolster the roster.
So getting that extra cap space for greater flexibility is where Domi could provide his value from a trade perspective. He does own an absolutely ridiculous 13-team no-trade clause though, so the Leafs will need to be creative if they want to get things accomplished.