Domi's performance this season has been very up and down, but since moving to 2C, skating with Tyler Bertuzzi and William Nylander, his play has been well above expectation. With 4 points in his last 4 games, Domi has become a part of the solution in Toronto and the Leafs are looking more like contenders now than they have all season.
Following the win in Vegas, Domi met with the media to discuss the game and the season, but when he was asked about the number of individual awards that Auston Matthews may or may not bring home this season, Domi was quick to shoot down that line of questioning, reminding the media and fans what the true goal is this season - the ultimate goal for any hockey player; to win the Stanley Cup.
The Leafs are now winners of their last 6 straight games and appear to be trending upwards at the right time. A few short weeks ago, it was unclear whether or not the Leafs should be buyers or if they should just punt on this season and look to tweak the roster to compete next season. Now, it's looking like the Leafs may only be two pieces away from challenging for a Cup - one piece being a right shot defenseman that can play in the top-4 and the other being a middle six forward who can help the penalty kill. An argument can also be made that the Leafs need an additional right shot defenseman to build up their depth on the right side, but with T.J. Brodie and Jake McCabe both able to play on the right side, they really may only need one - especially if it's the right piece.
Originally, it was thought that the Leafs might need a 3C as well, but with how well Domi has played as the team's 2C recently, shifting John Tavares down to 3C has created some matchup nightmares for the opposition and may have eliminated the need to acquire another center. With the trade deadline officially set for 2 weeks from today, we'll find out sooner than later what the Leafs have in store.
POLL | ||
23 FEVRIER | 839 ANSWERS Max Domi puts the NHL on notice with mic drop moment following win over Vegas Is Max Domi a long-term fit for the Leafs at 2C? | ||
Yes | 527 | 62.8 % |
No | 147 | 17.5 % |
He's a nice stop-gap until Fraser Minten is ready | 165 | 19.7 % |
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