Craig Berube's Surprising Remark About Max Domi Highlights His Noteworthy Accomplishment

An unsung hero on a team with plenty of star power, Max Domi has proven his versatility with a strong start to the season on and off the puck.

While he is still searching for his first goal on the season and is currently riding an 8-game pointless streak after registering 6 assists through his first 6 games, Domi's defensive game has been a boon for the Toronto Maple Leafs and his head coach has taken notice.

On if he's noticed a positive change in Domi's defensive game, Berube had this to say:

Analytically, Domi has been a darling and is tracking to have one of his best seasons of his career. His CF% is at 53.7, his CF% rel sits at 3.3, his FF% comes in at 55.4, his FF% rel is 4.2, and he has a staggering 102 PDO.

It's early in the season but these numbers are improvements from last year and it would sit as his best single-season totals since 2019-20 when he was a member of the Montreal Canadiens. He is also starting in the defensive zone a little more often than last year, which is a sign of trust coming from the coaching staff.

With Matthews out of the lineup, Domi was entrusted to take over the top-line centre position with Mitch Marner and Matthew Knies on his wings. Expect more of the same as long as Matthews remains sidelined but even upon his return, he will be relied upon for his 200-foot game for the rest of the season.

Domi's game has shifted since his arrival in Toronto and he has proven to be worth well above his $3.75M cap hit. At some point the goals will come, his assist totals will soar, and the points will accumulate, but even if he can't replicate his 47 points from 2023-24, he is doing enough of everything else to justify his current standing on the club.