The Toronto Maple Leafs and Max Domi have agreed on an extremely team-friendly contract. Domi, 29, has signed a four-year extension with his boyhood team. This four-year deal carries an average annual value (AAV) of $3.75 million.
After a long contract negotiation, it seemed like the Maple Leafs weren’t going to be able to find a way to re-sign Domi. However, both sides wanted to get a deal done, and that is what happened. $3.75 million for Domi is an absolute steal for what he showed he could bring, especially near the end of this season and into the playoffs on a line with Auston Matthews. In 80 games with the club, he had nine goals, and 38 assists for 47 points as well as 118 penalty minutes (PIMs).
Domi’s Contract is a Win For Both Parties
It has been widely reported that Domi wanted to have some type of security when it came to the length of his next contract. He has been on seven different teams in nine years at the NHL level, after being drafted by the Arizona Coyotes in 2013. There was some hope that he would get a long-term deal with the Montreal Canadiens, but after that didn’t materialize, he continued to be passed around by teams at the deadline, trying to make a push for the playoffs.
Last season, after former Maple Leafs general manager (GM) Kyle Dubas left and Brad Treliving took over the operations of the club, it became more apparent that he may want to bring Domi home to Toronto, as he was looking to add more grit to the lineup. At the start of his time with the Maple Leafs, it didn’t seem like a natural fit. It looked like both he and Tyler Bertuzzi weren’t going to last long with the organization. Until Domi was put on a line with Nick Robertson, everything seemed to change. The two appeared to have good chemistry with each other, and it sparked Domi’s play, which eventually got him promoted to the top line when Mitch Marner went down with an ankle injury. Much like him and Robertson, Matthews and Domi had instant chemistry, and it allowed the Maple Leafs to be a deeper team when Marner returned just before playoff time.
For Domi to land a four-year extension, it must feel amazing for him. He put in the work in a place that he loved and earned it. This is the first time since his entry-level contract that he has signed an NHL contract for longer than three years. It is absolutely incredible to see Domi, who quickly became a fan favourite in the city of Toronto, sign long-term.
What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?
The aforementioned Bertuzzi will be the next piece of business for the Maple Leafs. With the market opening in less than 24 hours, they will need to act fast if they want to lock him up. If not, there are names like David Perron who could be on their list to replace him. There are also still a bunch of questions surrounding Marner and whether he will be on the roster next season.
Related: Maple Leafs Getting Solid Defenseman With Chris Tanev Acquisition
Outside of that, it has to be defence; they acquired the rights to Chris Tanev yesterday (June 29), so they had more time to talk about a contract. Once that gets done, they will likely be looking at Nikita Zadorov and Matt Roy as options to bolster their blue line. Lastly, between the pipes still needs attention; right now they have Joseph Woll, and that is it. Martin Jones could be an option for them to bring back as a third goalie, but they will also need a tandem goalie to play alongside Woll. Some names that they could be interested in are Cam Talbot and Laurent Brossoit; they both would fit nicely with Woll, depending on their asking price.
Now that Treliving has re-signed Domi, his attention has to turn to Tanev and Bertuzzi before 11:59 am tomorrow. It seems all but certain that Tanev will be signing with the Maple Leafs, and it’ll be announced at the start of free agency. Leafs Nation, buckle up; the next 36 hours are going to be fun!
