Leafs Head Coach Craig Berube Wants To See A Specific Change in Max Domi's Game
Photo credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie - USA Today Sports
Generally more of a playmaker, Max Domi has become a versatile piece for the Toronto Maple Leafs, but his head coach would like to see him make one key change.
The Maple Leafs have been a revolving door of top-6 or top-9 forwards over the last few seasons as they've desperately tried to find the right pieces that would still allow them to fit their Core 4 at the top of the lineup. With one season in the book, it sure looks like Domi has been a home run acquisition - at least in contrast to some of his recent UFA counterparts.
Last season Domi tallied 38 assists and 47 points in 80 games after collecting 95 points in 152 games in the two seasons prior, albeit with 4 different clubs. His career has been one with many pit stops as Toronto was his 7th team in 9 years and 5th in just 2 seasons.
However, he's seemingly found a fit in Toronto and what's even more important is that he's become a Swiss-Army knife of sorts, with his versatility and willingness to play the wing or down the middle. While his playmaking has been on full display to start the season, Craig Berube wants to see the 10-year veteran shoot the puck more frequently:
"I think he moves a lot better in the middle, I would say, and moving his feet. You know, he's a very good playmaker. So when he gets open ice and gets some speed going, he can really skate. He's dangerous. He can make plays," Berube said following the team's optional skate on Wednesday. "In saying that, he should shoot more. He had a couple of opportunities, and, you know, he passed up on some shots. So it's, you know, we're trying to get him to shoot a little bit more on his opportunities."
Tonight, Domi is expected to play his 2nd game of the season as a center and with 3 assists to his credit thus far, he currently leads the team in points. William Nylander and Mitch Marner each have 2 points, John Tavares has 1, and Auston Matthews surprisingly still has zero.
While most of the hockey world barely talks about Domi as much as they used to at the beginning of his career, his talents and exploits are not lost on his teammates:
"I mean, he can play anywhere. He's such a good playmaker, a good player," Nick Robertson said of Domi. "The thing with him... I don't know if he's sneaky or underrated anymore because you've seen it so often."
Domi has been a breath of fresh air for a Maple Leafs offense that has had the ability to sag or become stagnant. His willingness to play any position and on any line helps the coaching staff and while his playmaking is on point, a few more shots on goal wouldn't hurt, considering he's topped 20+ goals twice in his career.
| POLL | ||
OCTOBRE 16 | 1766 ANSWERS Leafs Head Coach Craig Berube Wants To See A Specific Change in Max Domi's Game How many goals will Max Domi finish with in 2024-25? | ||
| 10-15 | 327 | 18.5 % |
| 16-20 | 808 | 45.8 % |
| 21-25 | 533 | 30.2 % |
| 26+ | 98 | 5.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
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