Leafs GM Brad Treliving explains why he chose to sign Max Domi; he wasn't just a legacy signing
Late last night, as Max Domi was enjoying a vacation in Europe, he and the Leafs ironed out a deal that will see the 2nd generation NHLer putting on a Leafs sweater for the first time in his career, with the pact coming in at 1 year with a $3M cap hit. The significance of this signing is huge for those in Leafs Nation, a lot of whom watched his dad, Tie Domi, play his heart out for the Leafs in his hay day. It's been 17 years since Tie hung up his skates and called it a career, but when his son Max takes to the ice for the first time at Scotiabank Arena, you can expect the roar of the crowd will be deafening.
Domi was approached by the Leafs early on in free agency, with GM Brad Treliving touching base to inform the former 12th overall pick (2013) that the Leafs had a great deal of interest in bringing him into the fold. The catch was that Domi wanted term and the Leafs simply couldn't offer it until they knew what Auston Matthews and William Nylander's extensions would look like.
Treliving revealed to the media on Monday that the initial talks really went nowhere, with Domi pushing for term and the Leafs being unable to offer it. He did, however, give Domi some time to consider the interest and told the 28-year-old that if he had a change of heart and was willing to accept a 1-year deal, there would be a spot for him in Toronto. Obviously, what we know now is that Treliving's offer lit a fire inside Domi and from there it was just about finding a fit, cap-wise - which they did, late last night.
Treliving has a great deal of familiarity with Domi, as he was an AGM with the Arizona Coyotes when they drafted Max back in 2013. He also revealed that Shane Doan played a pivotal role in helping bring Max to Toronto. Perhaps the most interesting detail in all of this, though, was that the decision to bring Max to Toronto was not a legacy move at all, but a reflection of how the team feels about the player. Treliving views Domi in the same light in which Kyle Dubas viewed Kerfoot - a versatile forward, who can play both wing and center, and who adds something the Leafs were lacking.
Treliving did acknowledge that the whole "the son following the father's footsteps" thing is a nice story and that there were a lot of fun aspects about the idea - and while the organization may market things that way, it wasn't the key motivator in the decision to sign Max. Treliving simply feels as though Max can fill a need and give the team a ton of flexibility. It doesn't hurt that Max, at $3M, comes in at $500K less than Kerfoot ended up getting in Arizona as well ($3.5M).
The Leafs GM stating that Max is here on his own merit must feel good for Domi to hear. It's probably the best message that the team can possibly send to him, to be honest. Yes, as Treliving said, the history will matter to people. It's a fun story, but you can't make decisions based on what is or isn't fun. The fact that Domi landed in Toronto because of what he brings to the table and not just to help sell jerseys will help Max to feel valued for what he is and prevent him from trying to hard to be someone else. The legacy can fuel him and that will be great, but he'll have a chance to create his own legacy in Toronto as well, and that was one of the most enticing things for him in the deal, I'd imagine.
| POLL | ||
3 JUILLET | 170 ANSWERS Leafs GM Brad Treliving explains why he chose to sign Max Domi; he wasn't just a legacy signing How many points do you think Max Domi will record in Toronto this season? | ||
| 40 or less | 48 | 28.2 % |
| 41-50 | 48 | 28.2 % |
| 51-60 | 58 | 34.1 % |
| 61-70 or more | 16 | 9.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
