While there has been no official word, there have been myriad rumors regarding the speculation of whether or not the Toronto Maple Leafs will be able to bring back Max Domi and Tyler Bertuzzi.
We have seen predictions that the next deal for 29-year-old Bertuzzi will be around $6 million over a five-year term. Domi, also 29, is predicted to get as high as $5 million over three years. In a recent visit interview, Elliotte Friedman noted that that term might be the biggest issue with the twosome.
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Friedman discussed their ongoing contract negotiations and noted: “I know Domi wants some term. I think Max Domi is a perfect Leaf. I think he’s going to be happy to be here for a long time. I think Toronto is nervous (about) term. I think if they can find a term number that makes sense for both sides, I think it happens.”
“Bertuzzi is the interesting one. I also think they want to bring him back. But again, I think the Leafs are trying to be really careful about the term. That’s one thing I was warned: if they lose some of these players, it will probably be because of term more than AAV.”
Why Is Bertuzzi Valued More than Domi?
Interestingly, Bertuzzi is deemed to be worth $30 million over a five-year deal, but Domi is only $15 million over three years. When you compare their production over the past two seasons, we see that Bertuzzi scored 29 goals and added 44 assists for a total of 73 points in 130 games played. Domi scored 31 goals and added 64 assists for 95 points in 152 games. That works out to an 82-game pace of 15 goals, 28 assists, and 43 points for Bertuzzi. For Domi, it would average 17 goals, 35 assists, and 52 points.
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Perhaps it’s Bertuzzi’s performance during the postseason. Over the past two postseasons, he’s scored six goals and 13 assists for 17 points in 14 games. By contrast, Domi has four goals, 13 assists, and 17 points over 26 playoff games. Bertuzzi is also regarded as a more physical player, with a hits-per-game pace double that of Domi’s.
Which Player Can the Maple Leafs Afford to Sign?
Regarding the Maple Leafs, who is worth more is not as big of a concern as who they can afford to sign. The team has a 15-player roster, including ten forwards, four defensemen, and a goalie signed for the 2024-25 season with a cap hit of about $68.3 million. That leaves them with about $19.7 million in cap space. Their biggest needs are two top-four defensemen and a goalie.
The Maple Leafs could go cheap on a goalie to tandem with Joseph Woll and find someone in a one to two-million-dollar range. Then, they would have to hope that Woll can stay healthy and keep playing at the same level he has for his first 43 NHL games.
The going price for a solid top-four defenseman who is not a bonafide first-pair player is between $4 million and $5 million a season. That would mean spending at least $10 million of their available cap space on two defensemen and a goalie, leaving them with about $9.5 million left. That is not enough money to sign both Domi and Bertuzzi. Even if the team somehow found a way to get the two defensemen, a goalie, Bertuzzi, and Domi, signed for the $19.7 million in space they have, that leaves them with the bare minimum 20-player roster, just six defensemen and a shaky goaltending situation. The team would have no depth on defense whatsoever.
Fans Should Not Expect Any of the Core Four to Be Moved
Trading one of the Core Four players would open up enough room to sign both Domi and Bertuzzi. Still, the buzz about the team dealing one of them has cooled off lately. Perhaps the spin from hockey writers and fans that John Tavares or Mitch Marner could be convinced to give up their no-move clauses to be traded has been tossed into the clickbait dumpster where it always belonged.
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Tavares doesn’t want to play elsewhere. And, those with an eye to history know that Marner’s agent, Darren Ferris, is more likely to convince Marner to play out his contract and test free agency than capitulate on waiving any advantageous clause he had negotiated. Now, the belief seems that everyone will return for one more kick at the cat under new coach Craig Berube.
If the core remains intact, the Maple Leafs could free up a little space by dealing with a David Kampf or a Calle Jarnkrok. But they would have to replace them if they did deal with them, so the savings would be very little.
The Bottom Line on Bertuzzi and Domi
Logically speaking, the chances of the team bringing back Bertuzzi and Domi seem to fall between slim and none. It’s possible they could afford to bring back one of them. If it came to that, and we were to hazard a guess, we would choose Domi. His family is from Toronto. He’s the cheaper of the two. He also likely hopes to stay and would sign something closer to a team-friendly contract. Even better, he also seemed to have good chemistry with Auston Matthews.
However, before any speculation comes to fruition, the team must figure out its situation on the blue line and in the crease.
[Note: I want to thank long-time Maple Leafs fan Stan Smith for collaborating with me on this post. Stan’s Facebook profile can be found here.]
