Leafs make huge roster decision involving forward fan favourite Max Domi
After a huge game against the Washington Capitals on Wednesday, it would appear as though Max Domi has earned himself yet another promotion due to his sensational play of late.
With Mitch Marner continuing to rest and recover this week, the Leafs were back at practice on Friday, preparing to welcome the Edmonton Oilers to Scotiabank Arena tomorrow night on Hockey Night in Canada. Marner's absence has left a huge hole to fill on the top PP unit, which has struggled to produce much of anything of late. As it turns out, Sheldon Keefe believes that Domi could be the short-term answer to the top unit's problems, as Domi skated with Auston Matthews, John Tavares, William Nylander and Timothy Liljegren on the top PP unit at practice on Friday.
Domi's 4-assist outing against the Capitals may have given Sheldon Keefe and company some insight as to what Domi is capable of when playing with elite players. Even Auston Matthews himself spoke about how he felt immediate chemistry with Domi on Wednesday night.
For Wednesday's game, it was Bertuzzi joining the top PP unit, so this could also be Guy Boucher's way of getting some different looks for that top unit in preparation for the playoffs. I don't expect that the Leafs will split up their loaded top unit unless an injury forces their hand, but it can never hurt to have a few different looks.
To date, Domi has just 2 power play points this season. However, both of these points were produced with the team's 2nd PP unit in very limited ice time. Could a larger role with more time on the top unit yield better results? It might. Domi has registered double digits in powerplay points 4 times over his 9 NHL seasons, breaking down as follows:
15 powerplay points with Arizona in 2015-16
11 powerplay points with Montreal in 2018-19
11 powerplay points with Montreal in 2019-20
19 powerplay points with Chicago and Dallas in 2022-23
It's certainly worth giving Domi a look with the top unit, especially with Marner out. At the very least, it can't hurt. The Leafs have struggled with the man advantage of late, going 3-for-31 on powerplay attempts over their last 10 games. Woof.
| POLL | ||
MARS 22 | 444 ANSWERS Leafs make huge roster decision involving forward fan favourite Max Domi Do you think the Leafs should give Max Domi an extended run on the top PP unit? | ||
| Yes, it can't hurt | 387 | 87.2 % |
| No, he's a better PP2 guy | 57 | 12.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
