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Max Domi

Latest On Max Domi

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When the Chicago Blackhawks went out and signed Max Domi and Andreas Athanasiou to one-year deals when free agency opened last summer, their goals seemed rather transparent. The club would give them regular minutes in offensive situations to pump up their statistics, and then flip them at the trade deadline for whatever they could get. The Blackhawks aren’t expected to compete this season or next, so it didn’t really matter how well they fit in – only that they secured a future asset in a midseason trade.

While that still may be the case, at least one of them is hoping the Blackhawks change their minds. Domi spoke at length with Scott Powers of The Athletic, explaining that he wants to stay in Chicago and help the club through this rebuild, instead of just being a half-season footnote in it.

Perhaps that is because of how well things have gone so far for Domi, at least in terms of production. The 27-year-old forward is playing center again, regularly lining up beside Patrick Kane, and averaging nearly 19 minutes of ice time. He has 12 goals and 28 points in 39 games, a pace he hasn’t experienced since he put up 72 in 82 games for the Montreal Canadiens in 2018-19. If the club could win, even a little bit more, things might seem pretty perfect for the pending free agent.

The question is, whether Chicago believes Domi can be a key contributor even once they have gone through the rebuilding process and have a lot more talent on the roster. Will he still be so effective if separated from Kane? He gave them a quick look at that future last night when Kane was held out of the lineup. Domi recorded two points including the overtime winner on a beautiful finish, set up by one of the future roster pillars Lukas Reichel.

Perhaps that glimpse is enough to convince general manager Kyle Davidson and the rest of the Blackhawks front office that Domi is a piece to keep around, instead of flip. But there will likely be some tempting offers. Remember, this is basically going exactly according to plan if you consider Chicago’s position. Lose most of your games, but show just enough fight to keep fans interested for the future, while pumping certain players enough to get even more draft capital for them at the deadline. Slowly transition to the young talent – Reichel scored his first NHL goal earlier in the game – with an eye still firmly planted on Connor Bedard and the top of the 2023 draft class.

Davidson has made it clear in the past that he’ll stick to his plan, and move players no matter how well they might fit into the picture right now. So even if Domi wants to stay, the Blackhawks might have other ideas.

Snapshots: Domi, Kraken Prospects, Vrana, Wotherspoon

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As soon as Max Domi signed with Chicago just minutes into free agency last summer, the expectation was that he’d be traded at the deadline when there wasn’t much money left on his one-year, $3MM contract.  However, in a recent 32 Thoughts appearance, Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek reports (video link) that it’s not a guarantee that Domi moves.  He’s enjoying a nice bounce-back year with the Blackhawks, collecting 11 goals and 13 assists in 36 games so far, good for second on the team in scoring.  He’s also winning draws at a career-best clip of 56.3%.  If he’s happy in his role and having some success, it may make more sense for Chicago to try to extend the 27-year-old.  That’s a discussion GM Kyle Davidson is expected to have with Domi’s representation in the coming weeks.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • A pair of Kraken prospects are on the move in the CHL. OHL London announced that they’ve acquired forward Ryan Winterton from Hamilton as part of a four-player trade.  The 19-year-old was a third-round pick (67th overall) in 2021 and has 46 points in 37 games so far this season.  Meanwhile, Sherbrooke of the QMJHL announced the acquisition of winger Jacob Melanson from Acadie-Bathurst.  The 19-year-old has 25 goals in just 27 games this season.  Both prospects have already signed their entry-level contracts with Seattle.
  • The Red Wings will extend Jakub Vrana’s conditioning stint by three more games, relays MLive’s Ansar Khan (Twitter link). The 26-year-old has already played in three games and was held off the scoresheet and the team feels he could benefit from a longer stretch in the minors.  This is the only extension that Detroit can give Vrana; he’ll have to be recalled once these three games are up.
  • The Devils announced (Twitter link) that they’ve assigned defenseman Tyler Wotherspoon to AHL Utica. He was recalled last week for his second stint with the big club this season but didn’t get into a game with New Jersey; his last NHL appearance came back in January 2017.  So far this season, the 29-year-old has two goals and seven assists in 23 games with the Comets.

Snapshots: Blackhawks, Boeser, Boucher

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The Chicago Blackhawks are the team to watch when it comes to selling at the trade deadline, with so much focus on Patrick Kane’s potential destination. Scott Powers of The Athletic examined the situation regarding Kane and Jonathan Toews, but also touched on the trade market for lesser players like Max Domi and Andreas Athanasiou.

Signing those two always seemed like a move destined to lead to trade deadline flips, but the Blackhawks may not get as much as they think for them. One executive told Powers that Domi and Athanasiou would likely cost third or fourth-round picks in a trade, though admitted things can change if teams get “desperate.”

Snapshots: Sharks, Domi, Bruins

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It appears that the Sharks have determined their list of untouchables and it’s a pretty small one.  In the latest TSN Insider Trading segment, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reported that San Jose’s list of players that they’re not open to considering trading starts and ends with Tomas Hertl who is just beginning an eight-year, $65.1MM contract.  GM Mike Grier made one notable shakeup trade last summer with the move of Brent Burns to Carolina and will certainly be looking to continue to reshape his roster.  As we start to see a bit of trade activity around the league, the Sharks could be a team to watch for over the next little while on that front.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

  • While Max Domi joined the Blackhawks early in free agency on a one-year deal, it appears as if that wasn’t his original preference. In his latest column for the Toronto Star, Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos reports that Domi’s camp had approached the Maple Leafs to gauge their interest in a one-year deal at a significantly lower price than the $3MM he received from Chicago.  Obviously, Toronto opted to go in a different direction, adding Nicolas Aube-Kubel on the opening day of free agency and Calle Jarnkrok two days later as forwards signing for more than the minimum.
  • Bruins GM Don Sweeney met with the media (video link) on Thursday following their trade with Vancouver. Sweeney acknowledged that discussions with winger David Pastrnak about a contract extension continue on a regular basis but that they have not yet “found the endpoint”.  The 26-year-old is off to a hot start with 15 points in eight games to start the season and is set to land a significant raise on his current $6.667MM AAV, one that could push his cap hit near or past the $10MM mark.
  • Sweeney also indicated that they’ve not yet worked out where they will send goaltender Michael DiPietro who was acquired in yesterday’s swap. They have two netminders with AHL Providence already – Keith Kinkaid and Kyle Keyser – while they have Brandon Bussi at the ECHL level as well.  As DiPietro is past his entry-level contract, he has the ability to block an assignment to the ECHL.  Speculatively, if DiPietro wants to stay in the AHL, a short-term loan to another AHL squad could be a possible outcome with Sweeney suggesting they have a couple of options in the works for their new goalie at the moment.

Snapshots: Boyle, Oettinger, Domi

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Free agent center Brian Boyle had a nice comeback season with Pittsburgh in 2021-22, recording 11 goals and 10 assists in 66 games with Pittsburgh after not playing at all the year before.  Despite that, he wasn’t tendered an offer to remain with the Penguins when free agency opened up.  However, Dave Molinari of Pittsburgh Hockey Now notes that the 37-year-old is hoping to play again next season and is hoping that a return to Pittsburgh isn’t out of the question.  After playing on a deal for the league minimum a year ago, it’s likely that Boyle’s market value would be at that level again so he’s likely to remain on the open market for a little while longer until those types of contracts start to be signed closer to the beginning of training camp.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • With Dallas likely only having enough cap space to commit a long-term deal to just one of winger Jason Robertson and goalie Jake Oettinger, both Mike Heika and Bruce LeVine of the Stars’ team website suggest that Oettinger should be the one to receive a bridge deal. The 23-year-old had a strong year with a .914 SV% and a 2.53 GAA in 48 games but there isn’t much history of young goalies bypassing bridge contracts and going straight to a long-term pact.  With just 77 career NHL appearances under his belt, a bridge deal certainly makes sense.  He has four seasons of RFA eligibility left so there would still be ample time to work out a long-term agreement before Oettinger is eligible to hit the open market.
  • Max Domi wasted little time signing with the Blackhawks in free agency, inking a one-year, $3MM deal. Choosing to go to a team that has entered an extended rebuild may seem surprising but the 27-year-old told reporters, including Charlie Roumeliotis of NBC Sports Chicago, that their decision to hire Luke Richardson prompted Domi to tell his agent that Chicago was where he wanted to go with a deal being agreed to just before free agency opened up.  Richardson was on the coaching staff with Montreal for Domi’s two seasons with the Canadiens and clearly, the new bench boss made a positive impression.

Chicago Blackhawks Sign Andreas Athanasiou, Max Domi

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One of the biggest strategies for rebuilding clubs is signing buy-low candidates and then flipping them at the deadline, and the Chicago Blackhawks look like they’ll follow that path. Scott Powers of The Athletic reports that the Blackhawks have signed both Andreas Athanasiou and Max Domi today. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic notes that it will be one-year deals for both, worth $3MM each.

With these two signings, the Blackhawks’ plan is starting to become more clear. GM Kyle Davidson’s intentions with signing Domi and Athanasiou are relatively transparent. These are two offense-first players who have in the past shown the ability to score at a valuable level. Max Domi has a 72-point season on his resume, as well as other years where he scored around a 50-point pace. Athanasiou, known best for his blazing speed, has scored 30 goals in the past and offers a tantalizing offensive toolbox that he’s never quite put together.

On a Chicago team that figures to be quite bad, both Domi and Athanasiou will likely get greater offensive roles than they’d receive on contending teams. So, Davidson is likely making these signings with the hope that the increased role can help them author a productive first half to their seasons, making them valuable trade assets at the 2023 trade deadline. Both Domi and Athanasiou could be had by contenders at just a 50% cap hit (if Chicago retains) meaning if either is able to reach similar production to what they’ve been able to do in the past, they could return the Blackhawks a decent prospect or draft pick.

Neither Athanasiou or Domi figures to be a long-term fixture in Chicago. But with the direction the Blackhawks are going, these signings could be beneficial for both the team and players. For Chicago, they have the potential to net them some more long-term assets, the kinds of prospects and draft picks Davidson has been stockpiling so far in his tenure. For the players, they get a chance at a greater role than what they’d receive anywhere else and their best opportunity to re-enter the market on stronger footing next summer.

Looking At Max Domi’s Impending Free Agency

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After taking a look at the upcoming free agency situation of Vincent Trocheck, we now pivot to looking at the future of his Hurricanes teammate, Max Domi. Tonight Domi hit an important milestone in his career: 500 NHL games played. Domi is famously the son of enforcer Tie Domi, who spent the majority of his career with just one team: the Toronto Maple Leafs. The stability that Tie Domi found once he established himself in Toronto is not something Max has managed in his career, and as a pending unrestricted free agent, the second Domi looks set to potentially land on the fifth NHL team of his career despite being just 27 years old.

As we previously mentioned when going over the situation of Trocheck, the Hurricanes already have significant cap dollars tied to their forward corps, (and more specifically their top three centers) and have important extensions to consider down the line. As a result, it is likely that Domi, who arrived in Carolina as part of a buzzer-beating deadline-day trade, is a pure rental for the team. So the former London Knights star looks primed to hit the unrestricted free-agent market for the first time in his career.

But what should his market look like? Domi is a bit of an enigmatic player. He is very talented offensively, having produced at an elite level once before (when he had 72 points for the Montreal Canadiens in the 2018-19 season) and having the overall skill level to appear on highlight reels. Additionally, Domi plays with a level of energy and enthusiasm that one would expect from the son of Tie Domi, and he plays a style that allows him to quickly endear himself to fans. Although coaches have mostly preferred to keep him on the wing, Domi also has experience playing center, which adds to his value. But with those positives comes a sometimes maddening level of inconsistency, as well as a shaky defensive game. Domi butted heads with coach John Tortorella in Columbus, and near the end of his tenure in Montreal, he found himself relegated to fourth-line center duty. So despite his intriguing package of skills and desirable work ethic, Domi’s overall offering as a free agent is more mixed than it may initially seem.

All of those factors make assessing what Domi could cost on the open market a challenging prospect. With many players, there are typically some generally accurate comparable players to use as a benchmark for estimating what kind of contract a player can command in free agency. But with Domi, are there many comparables that make sense for his situation? One tool we have to assess how Domi is viewed leaguewide is his trade value. It’s not perfect, as there are a whole host of factors that go into an in-season trade that are not present in the summer, but it can paint a somewhat accurate picture. 

Domi’s trade was a complicated three-way deal that involved a “cap broker” and multiple assets being swapped just to account for the financial aspects of the deal. But in the end, the Blue Jackets, the team trading Domi, got just one asset in return for him, the rights to prospect defenseman Aidan Hreschuk, a 19-year-old playing for Boston College. Hreschuk was a third-round pick in 2021 and had 8 points in 37 games in this NCAA season. If that return is any indication, Domi’s value has declined sharply since a few years ago, when he was the main return in Columbus’ Josh Anderson trade and earned a contract worth over $5MM AAV.

This offseason’s market for offensive skill players is one that theoretically offers teams many options, with elite scorers such as Johnny Gaudreau, Filip Forsberg, and Nazem Kadri as the headliners, meaning Domi may not be the beneficiary of a bidding war caused by an imbalance between the supply and demand of scoring talent on the market. That means that Domi may not reach the $5.3MM AAV mark he is currently earning if he wants a long-term contract. But if Domi wants a shorter-term deal, one where he can prioritize role and fit in order to re-enter the market on the back of a better platform year, that would likely make him a desirable player for many cap-strapped teams. Domi’s 2018-19 season showed that he can score at a high level in the NHL, but he hasn’t come close to that since. His decision this offseason regarding where he wants to sign as a first-time UFA could determine if he reaches those heights again.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Carolina Hurricanes Acquire Max Domi In Three-Team Trade

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The Carolina Hurricanes were able to make a last-second addition, acquiring Max Domi from the Columbus Blue Jackets in a complicated three-team trade just ahead of today’s deadline. The Florida Panthers are playing salary broker, retaining some of Domi’s remaining contract in order for him to fit into the Hurricanes cap situation. The deal will look like this:

To Columbus: Aidan Hreschuk
To Florida: Egor Korshkov, 2022 sixth-round pick (TOR)
To Carolina: Max Domi (50% retained CBJ, 25% retained FLA), Tyler Inamoto

None of Hreschuk, Korshkov, or Inamoto are currently signed to NHL contracts.

It’s a bit of an odd trade for the Blue Jackets, but they will end up with arguably the best prospect of the bunch out of the deal in Hreschuk. Selected 94th overall in 2021, the 19-year-old defenseman currently plays at Boston College where he registered eight points in 37 games as a freshman. He was actually ranked even higher than that by several lists going into the draft, but ended up slipping almost all the way out of the third round, likely because of concerns over his size. The 5’11” defenseman is a product of the U.S. National Team Development Program and isn’t someone to overlook though, as he is very physical and engaged when playing in his own end.

Florida meanwhile will get a chance to bring a former top prospect back to North America, as Korshkov is a restricted free agent playing in the KHL. Originally selected 31st overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2016, he eventually returned to Russia to play in 2020-21. This season for Yaroslavl he has scored 11 goals and 22 points, and would need a new contract if he’s going to play for Florida. A big, rangy forward, Korshkov isn’t overly physical but can use a powerful shot and surprisingly strong mobility to contribute in a depth role, if convinced to return.

Inamoto, 22, went back to play his fifth year at Wisconsin this season, where the fifth-round pick recorded just two points in 26 games. While he’s an interesting one to follow in a Carolina system known for its unique scouting group, Domi is obviously the prize here.

The 27-year-old pending UFA has nine goals and 32 points this season for the Blue Jackets, his second in Columbus since a trade from the Montreal Canadiens. Now joining his fourth NHL organization, the 12th overall pick from 2013 has 99 goals and 307 points in 482 career games. There’s no doubt that Domi can contribute on the offensive end, add some toughness and grit, too often in his previous stops he has had an inconsistent game that bordered on irresponsible defensively. It has made him a frustrating player for coaches and fans alike, given his obvious talents, but could potentially be a nice under-the-radar pickup for the Hurricanes as they push for the Stanley Cup.

If he can fit into their structure, Domi will provide another bit of firepower among a forward group that’s already one of the deepest in the league. The gamble didn’t cost them a ton, especially given how many other interesting prospects remain in the Carolina system.

Deadline Notes: Fleury, Domi, Copp, Maple Leafs

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An interesting story circulated today with a new team being added to the watch-list for goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury: the Minnesota Wild. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman mentioned earlier that the Wild and the Chicago Blackhawks have had conversations about the veteran goaltender and that it was something to keep an eye on. Even if the two sides could agree on a deal, Fleury has a modified no-trade clause and the Blackhawks do not plan to trade him to a team without his approval, and thus, Fleury would have to want to be traded to the Wild.

Fleury has expressed his desire to try to help a team win a Stanley Cup, which the Wild appear poised to try to do. In last year’s Vezina Trophy winner, the Wild could find a pronounced upgrade over the struggling Cam Talbot. An All Star this season, Talbot has struggled greatly since his All Star appearance, posting an .886 save percentage over 10 games. Another factor in the Fleury talks worth considering is that Minnesota’s GM, Bill Guerin, won a Stanley Cup with Fleury and the Pittsburgh Penguins back in 2009, so there is an element of familiarity for Fleury in Minnesota.

  • On the 32 Thoughts segment of Hockey Night in Canada this evening, Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek discussed trade talk heating up around Columbus Blue Jackets’ forward Max Domi. Marek mentions the Washington Capitals, Boston Bruins, and Colorado Avalanche as potential suitors for the forward. However, for Washington, in order to facilitate this trade, they would likely need a third team to participate, as the Capitals only have $155K in deadline day cap space. A deal of this nature could prove more expensive for Washington, however they will have to face that reality in almost any scenario. This season, Domi has nine goals and 23 assists in 52 games for Columbus.
  • Also on Hockey Night in Canada, Friedman noted that talks around Winnipeg Jets’ forward Andrew Copp were intensifying, with the Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche, and New York Rangers most in the mix. Many have speculated that whoever was most interested in Claude Giroux, that did not acquire him, would likely turn to the Jets to try to bring in Copp. Both the Avalanche and the Rangers had made a push for Giroux, but Giroux appeared to only be willing to waive his no-trade clause for the Florida Panthers. In Copp, teams can expect a strong, gritty 200 foot player with a scoring touch. The forward currently holds a $3.64MM cap hit and is set to become a UFA this summer. Also of note out of Winnipeg, if a team is unable to acquire Copp, the Jets could also look to move veteran Paul Stastny, who has 31 points in 51 games this season to go with a $3.75MM cap hit that expires this summer.
  • Friedman also discussed the Toronto Maple Leafs’ trade deadline plans at length on Hockey Night in Canada. He reiterated Toronto’s strong desire not to move a first-round pick or any top prospects for strictly a rental player. While Mark Giordano has been linked to Toronto and prefers to be traded there, Seattle’s price on Giordano may make him too expensive for the Maple Leafs to bite. Marek suggests, in the alternative, GM Kyle Dubas could look to Justin Braun of the Philadelphia Flyers. Braun certainly isn’t the player Giordano is, however he fills a need for Toronto, that of a veteran shut-down defenseman, and comes at a much more reasonable $1.8MM cap hit that expires this summer, and could presumably be acquired without the Maple Leafs having to part with a top prospect or any of their future first-round picks. Despite Toronto’s search for defensemen, Friedman does still believe that the Maple Leafs will move defenseman Travis Dermott by Monday’s trade deadline. Dermott carries just a $1.5MM cap hit, is signed through next season, and will be a RFA thereafter.

East Notes: Ekblad, Domi, Hagg

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Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad left Friday’s game early due to a lower-body injury but interim head coach Andrew Brunette told reporters, including David Wilson of the Miami Herald, that the injury isn’t as bad as it first appeared, indicating that there was no structural damage.  While there’s no timetable yet for his return, Brunette is “very hopeful” that his star blueliner won’t be out for long.  Ekblad suffered a serious ankle injury late last season that took him out for the playoffs which dealt a serious blow to their postseason hopes.  Although it appears he’ll miss some time, Ekblad has avoided a similar fate this time around.

Other news and notes from the East:

  • There haven’t been any recent discussions between the Blue Jackets and Max Domi regarding a contract extension, notes David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period (Twitter link). The 27-year-old has 32 points in 52 games this season and the fact he can play on the wing and down the middle should be of interest to playoff-bound teams.  What won’t be something many of those contenders have interest in, however, is his contract, as his $5.3MM cap hit is one that will be difficult for them to afford.  Regardless, Columbus should be able to find a trade taker for him by Monday.
  • The Penguins have shown interest in Sabres defenseman Robert Hagg, reports Josh Yohe of The Athletic (subscription link). Cap space will be an issue for Pittsburgh with all of their current space coming from Jason Zucker who’s on LTIR but will return next month but if Buffalo is able to retain half of Hagg’s $1.6MM AAV, his cap hit would be just above the league minimum which is something they should be able to afford.

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