Craig Berube Urges Max Domi to Make Key Adjustment in His Game for the Maple Leafs

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Chris Gerics
October 16, 2024 (6:10 PM)

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Max Domi has been fantastic in his time with the Maple Leafs and has grown into his own as a playmaker, though head coach Craig Berube thinks he should adjust his focus.

Since coming into the league, the son of legendary enforcer Tie Domi has been fantastic and has grown into one of the best playmakers in the entire league. He ranks among the likes of Nathan MacKinnon, Connor McDavid, and Nikita Kucherov with the most assists at even strength per 60 minutes:

Many pegged Domi to be strictly a third liner, however, his offensive potential and playmaking vision should endear him to a Top-6 role, a place he's been slotted into this year with great success as evidenced by his cheeky assist to linemate William Nylander last Saturday against Pittsburgh:

But Domi isn't just known for being able to pass, and he is more than capable of scoring and even exploded for 28 goals with the Montreal Canadiens in 2018-2019, and 18 goals with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2022-2023. It's numbers like that that would give Toronto even more scoring weapons on a team already lethal enough and it's what head coach Craig Berube has been trying to stress to Domi:

"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."

Domi has come into his own so far in this young year, showing even more tenacity under head coach Craig Berube and leading the team in scoring. He'll get to lineup at center again, and given his track record at the position in his career with winning nearly 50% of his faceoffs; he's bound to have success. Domi isn't like his father who would let his fists do the talking, instead, he lets his playmaking and skating ability make players look foolish:

The Toronto Maple Leafs find the most success when they get shots on net, and Domi's tendency to pass-first has worked well, but it might behoove Domi to start shooting a little more not only to please his coach, but to please the fans desperate to see him break out.

POLL
Should Craig Berube get Max Domi to shoot more or does he need to remain a playmaker?
Shoot more kid!	120	71 %
Keep passing, it's what you're here for!	27	16 %
Keep what you're doing just fight more like Tie!	17	10.1 %
Just focus on getting everyone healthy	5	3 %
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