$15 Million Leafs Forward May Lose His Place in the Lineup as Defensive Woes Continue
Max Domi has not produced nearly to the level of his contract, and if he doesn't pick it up, he's going to be an expensive benchwarmer.
To say Max Domi is a polarizing figure is an understatement. A lot of people either love what he brings to the ice or think he's not worth the money. For the latter, he's proving them right this season.
With six points (zero goals) in the first 19 games, Domi has struggled mightily since signing his 4-year contract extension in the summer:
It's a complete falloff from last season that while wasn't necessarily impressive, did have Domi score nine times and finish with 47 points and showed a passion he has yet to display this year:
The knock on Domi though is his defense and rightly so, as he has been one of the league's weaker defenders throughout his career:
With Toronto's mentality shift this season towards a grittier, more defensively sound game, where does that leave Domi?
Max Domi's Defense Is Indefensible
There's really no excuse for Domi not to be at least competent defensively. He's been around the league long enough, and barely above average with his possession metrics.
Last season, he was on the ice for 54 goals against, and given that Toronto had 261 against all season, being partially responsible for nearly a quarter of your teams' goals against; that's tough to swallow especially with a lack of production.
With the addition of Fraser Minten, Nikita Grebenkin, and now Alex Nylander, it gives Toronto an opportunity to add more defense to their lineup without sacrificing any offense, and actually boosting their chances of scoring as well.
Nylander had 12 points in 14 games before his call-up, Fraser Minten just scored his first NHL goal and looked calm and poised on defense, and Nikita Grebenkin was flying around throwing hits and being a sparkplug for Toronto.
Domi has done none of these things this season. Sure, he had a flash in the pan start with the BMW line the first couple of weeks, but he quickly fell off and hasn't recorded a point in over a month.
That type of production is frankly, pathetic for someone earning $3.75M to do nothing. Heck, even his dad was able to score a bit, along with actually making an impact on the ice. Yeah he wasn't a Selke finalist, but Tie Domi actively made life miserable for opponents meanwhile Max Domi gets feasted on.
What can Max Domi do to fix things?
First things first, get healthy. There is no point trying to be impactful if you're a step behind or still working out some kinks. Lance Hornby of The Toronto Sun reports that Domi is still not back on the ice and is still rehabbing according to head coach Craig Berube.
But beyond that, he needs to have a chat with Toronto's defensive wizard Lane Lambert, and inquire about some extra drills to spruce up his terrible defense.
The injuries that happened before Domi was a prime chance for him to make a difference and he didn't. Others have come in and taken his spot and made a bigger impact in a much shorter amount of time.
If Domi wants to ensure his spot in the lineup stays secure, he needs to seriously work on a lot of things. If he doesn't, not only will he be an expensive benchwarmer, but find himself in another jersey.
FAQ: Max Domi's Defense May Cost Him His Spot
Q1: Why is Max Domi at risk of losing his roster spot?
A1: Max Domi is in serious danger of losing his spot not only because his defensive mistakes often cost Toronto, but that his lack of offensive production has made those defensive errors even more apparent. If he was scoring, he could be forgiven but with a lack of results, it's been bad.
Q2: Who would take over for Max Domi then?
A2: Toronto has several options they could use to replace Domi, either temporarily or permanently. Fraser Minten and Nikita Grebenkin will be starring for years to come, and Alex Nylander is an NHLer on the cusp of breaking out if given a true chance.
Toronto also has Alex Steeves in the lineup, and while he doesn't offer the same potential as Minten or Grebenkin, he is 2nd all-time in points for the Toronto Marlies; he can score and he can play defense. There are so many other options if Toronto wanted to part with Domi
So in closing, there is so much Max Domi can do in order to make sure he stays in the lineup, but if he doesn't start realizing it; he's going to be a very expensive benchwarmer, or headed out of town for someone who does make an impact.
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