The son of Leafs fan favorite Tie Domi made the choice to come home and play for the hometown crowd. Many felt that this reunion was slated to happen at some point during his career and after a stint with the Dallas Stars. he decided it was finally time and the Leafs agreed.
The early going of the season was slow, as Domi could not find his game with the Maple Leafs through the first few weeks of the season. Before long, head coach Sheldon Keefe decided to make a change and put him at center on the third line. That change ignited his point production and ever since, Domi has looked far better than he had at the beginning of the year.
The data supports what we've seen with the eye test and his scoring metrics have looked good since the change. In fact, a striking tweet was sent out recently, revealing that Domi's 5-on-5 play is actually outpacing that of his $11 million captain, John Tavares.
Aside being a few goals behind, Domi is showing his worth, despite not having the TOI that Tavares gets. These numbers are what a head coach wants in a 3rd liner as secondary points are vital for playoff success. While Domi's defensive play could certainly use work, his offensive play is pretty elite among 3rd liners in the NHL.
On the season, Domi has played 34 games, has scored three goals with 18 assists for 21 points. He's currently playing on a one-year deal or $3 million, at the end of which he hopes that he can sign a long-term deal to stick around with the Maple Leafs.
If he continues to produce like this, especially as the Leafs approach the playoffs, I'd expect that GM Brad Treliving might just honor that wish and keep Domi around awhile. It seems like a good fit.
POLL | ||
1 JANVIER | 1087 ANSWERS This productivity comparison between Max Domi and his $11M captain will blow your mind Will the Maple Leafs re-sign Max Domi to a long term deal? | ||
Yes - He's showing his worth | 649 | 59.7 % |
No - They'll replace him with someone cheaper | 438 | 40.3 % |
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