The first thing to know about Max Domi is that he is not his father.
Tie Domi was one of the most feared enforcers of his era, finishing his career with 3,515 penalty minutes — third most in NHL history. Max, who officially signed a $3-million contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday, inherited some of his father’s feistiness but goes about his business differently. (Max has been assessed 14 major penalties over his eight-year career, compared to Tie’s 273 over 16 seasons.)
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Domi scored 20 goals last season, 18 of which came with Chicago, where he centered the rebuilding Blackhawks’ top line and played on the first power-play unit. He will not have the same opportunities with the Maple Leafs, which is why his brief stint with the Dallas Stars after being acquired before the trade deadline offers more of a realistic look at what he provides.
As a middle-six forward, Domi had 13 points — all at even-strength — in 19 playoff games. That included 10 assists; only Jack Eichel (15) and Mark Stone (11) had more at even-strength this past post-season. Domi completed 1.39 slot passes per 20 minutes, which led the Stars and was tied for 16th out of 95 forwards who played at least 100 minutes at 5-on-5 during the playoffs. (In the regular season, Domi’s 1.44 slot-pass completions per 20 ranked 69th out of 503 qualified forwards.)
Domi also has slick hands and the skating ability to attack off the rush. His 3.84 open-ice dekes per 20 were 10th among qualified forwards, and his 4.25 offensive-zone carry-ins were 11th.
Domi’s defensive impact, meanwhile, is much different. Of the 95 forwards who played at least 100 minutes at 5-on-5 in the playoffs, Domi’s 0.87 expected goals against per 20 were tied for 88th. Simply put, expect a lot of activity on both ends when Domi is on the ice.
Next season, Domi should slot in on the Maple Leafs’ third line, where he can provide much-needed secondary scoring at centre or on the wing. Based on the signings of Ryan Reaves and Tyler Bertuzzi in the first few days of free agency, Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving clearly has a type. Domi, who joins his seventh team since debuting in 2015-16, fits that bill, too.
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