Max Domi

[Habs_Hockey_Nutz]

No doubt Max Domi had a career year last season...that said, he has had a hard time trying to repeat this year. He definitely has the talent, speed and grit to be a top-six winger... however I question his attitude at times and his determination at both ends of the ice. He does not appear to be a happy camper regarding the way he is being used IMHO, and perhaps that could be the main reason for his lack of commitment at times and as a result, his production overall.

What think you?

[H_T_L]

The guy is a pro with an upcoming contract. If he's pouting because he's not happy on the wing then he's only hurting himself. I'm not sure what his issues are, but there are stretches where he looks totally uninterested out there. 

[CaptWelly]

I can understand getting pushed out of his spot by a rookie. I also think as we get players back ,Drouin now staking with the club it will make it easier because he'll also have better line mates to work with. I do think it's funny when so many support JK or others when they complain about their wingers or usage and he hasn't had a year like Domi or proven anything. It's okay to support a rookie or close to whining and oh no "shaking his confidence" , but when it comes to Domi all of a sudden he has to be professional or suck it up because of attitude? I agree that they ALL should suck it up they are playing in the NHL and being paid that way.  Now with Drouin coming back ass long as Tatar is healthy there are going to be good wingers throughout the line up and we should be able to "roll the lines" . Which Jullien likes and we can utilize the team speed and spread out scoring making tougher match ups for the opposing teams. I actually think he plays best when he's "playing on the edge" but he has to not take bad penalties also.  

[maas_art]

What some see as "disinterest" i see as frustration. I think he looks tight out there. He's trying to keep his emotions in check (good) but that seems to have affected his game. His posture is off, his skating is off, he's holding his stick tighter - he looks like a guy either trying to do too much or not sure what he should be doing.  He needs to get back to having fun and doing the simple things right. 

I dont think last year was an aberration. I think he'll bounce back next year but i do believe (as Capt essentially said above) that Domi is a complementary player.  When other good players are out or he has to carry a line with Weal and Cousins, he aint going to be able to give you much.  Play him with good players & he'll bounce back. 

[campabee82]

At first I hated the Max trade after seeing what he could do last season at center, I am a fan. I really don't think he is unhappy or uninterested, frustrated maybe. He had been playing well and getting decent chances just before the AS break now nothing seems to be going his way. He got moved to the wing then demoted and he is still a young player and a competitive guy so he wants to be at his best all the time. Give the guy time he will turn things around again. I do think it's time that Danault gets moved to the 3rd line though and let Domi and Suzuki work out the 1 and 2 C positions themselves or maybe have them alternate between the wing and center when and if JK comes back up and starts playing to his abilities.

[H_T_L]

Anything we say in here is just speculation about what issues he may be going through. Could simply be a slump that he needs to work through or it could be linemates that just don't mesh. Awhile back he was benched by CJ for a selfish penalty that cost us a game, so maybe it's a soured relationship with the coach. Maybe he's playing through injuries? The fact is only Domi knows for sure. Just about every player on this team has his supporters and detractors. Comparing one to another is like comparing apples and oranges. Just because some fans aren't as enamoured with one player over another doesn't make him any less a Hab fan. I assume everybody in here wants to see us succeed either now or in the future and we all have differing opinions on how to do that. 

[jennifer_rocket]

Whatever the issue may be, he's on pace for WAY less points than he had last year. So... I really, really don't want to see Bergevin handing out something foolish here. If Bergevin sees him as an important part of the team going forward, I'd consider offering him something similar to what Drouin got.

[maas_art]

7 minutes ago, jennifer_rocket said:

Whatever the issue may be, he's on pace for WAY less points than he had last year. So... I really, really don't want to see Bergevin handing out something foolish here. If Bergevin sees him as an important part of the team going forward, I'd consider offering him something similar to what Drouin got.

I suspect Domi's camp will want a 3 year deal (as seems to be the norm with younger players) but i think MB will counter with a 7 or 8 year deal for less $  per.   Maybe like the gallagher contract: a little lower perhaps but  guaranteed money.  Will be interesting to see what happens.  One thing that MB has been pretty good at is contracts (i mean yeah he overpays for grinders but his structure for the skilled players has been pretty effective so far).

[jennifer_rocket]

27 minutes ago, maas_art said:

I suspect Domi's camp will want a 3 year deal (as seems to be the norm with younger players) but i think MB will counter with a 7 or 8 year deal for less $  per.   Maybe like the gallagher contract: a little lower perhaps but  guaranteed money.  Will be interesting to see what happens.  One thing that MB has been pretty good at is contracts (i mean yeah he overpays for grinders but his structure for the skilled players has been pretty effective so far).

I'd be fine with shorter term. I don't really see Domi as the long-term future of this team.

[RCAF48]

Max has to play with emotion.........emotion is frowned upon in the current Montreal organization with the exception of the orchestrated pre-game spectacles which are used to distract the fans from the on ice product. 

The Rocket took bad penalties but I sure enjoyed watching him. I also enjoy watching Max when he plays on the edge, when he tries to play "Julien" hockey....not so much.

Just for fun..... the Rocket averaged 1.32 penalty minutes per game........Domi .82 minutes per game, pick up the pace Max and the goals will follow.

 

 

 

[maas_art]

1 hour ago, jennifer_rocket said:

I'd be fine with shorter term. I don't really see Domi as the long-term future of this team.

Really? That surprises me.  He's 24 and has 243 pts in 360 games.   Why would you think he doesnt have a future here? 

Assuming he goes back to wing, we dont have a ton of prospect depth a LW.  Drouin, Domi and Lehks - all good players (and all young) but after that noone really coming up the pipeline to supplant anyone.

 

What dont you like about him long-term?
 

[CaptWelly]

1 hour ago, jennifer_rocket said:

I'd be fine with shorter term. I don't really see Domi as the long-term future of this team.

I absolutely see him as long term. He has a great skill set (something everyone keeps saying we need, he can be a game breaker) he also plays with passion and loves being in Montreal . There are to many skilled players that don't like a market like Montreal and can't take the heat when they aren't playing good or something happens. He also plays with passion and grit. Other than Gallagher we don't have enough players that will play that way. He doesn't back down either. If he would sign a deal like Drouins it would be great.

[jeff33]

of all the trade talk about tatar and petry, domi is the guy i see leaving. they dont like him. hes not going this deadline, but i know this team. hes in the black book.

[BigTed3]

One other factor to consider is that Domi and Drouin had a lot of success last year when Andrew Shaw was on their line. Shaw was the motor that made that line go. He did the dirty work, he got the puck, he got to the front of the net... Shaw and Domi were also apparently close friends outside of the rink. This year, you'd have to think that Domi is frustrated by Suzuki stealing his spot in the line-up, as well as his lack of consistent linemates and the fact the locker room dynamic has probably changed with a loud voice in Shaw being traded. Thompson has probably been the guy to take Shaw's spot as a vocal leader on the team, and he's less of a pal with Domi, as far as I can tell...

[Habs_Hockey_Nutz]

3 hours ago, jennifer_rocket said:

Whatever the issue may be, he's on pace for WAY less points than he had last year. So... I really, really don't want to see Bergevin handing out something foolish here. If Bergevin sees him as an important part of the team going forward, I'd consider offering him something similar to what Drouin got.

5 hours ago, campabee82 said:

At first I hated the Max trade after seeing what he could do last season at center, I am a fan. I really don't think he is unhappy or uninterested, frustrated maybe. He had been playing well and getting decent chances just before the AS break now nothing seems to be going his way. He got moved to the wing then demoted and he is still a young player and a competitive guy so he wants to be at his best all the time. Give the guy time he will turn things around again. I do think it's time that Danault gets moved to the 3rd line though and let Domi and Suzuki work out the 1 and 2 C positions themselves or maybe have them alternate between the wing and center when and if JK comes back up and starts playing to his abilities.

I do think he is not feeling like a leader the way he did last year. When I reflect on the two eight game losing streaks (even with the injuries as a contributing factor) it seems to me he did little to show the leadership he displayed last year. I wonder why that is... was he a problem for the coaches?

I do agree Danault should be the third line center teamed with our best defensive forward assets. And perhaps Domi may be rejuvenated if given a more important role with top six players that mesh with him and can make up for his defensive shortcomings at the same time.

[Habs_Hockey_Nutz]

50 minutes ago, jeff33 said:

of all the trade talk about tatar and petry, domi is the guy i see leaving. they dont like him. hes not going this deadline, but i know this team. hes in the black book.

You have to wonder. I have been thinking he may not be a great fit going forward and could/perhaps should be considered as a trade candidate. I wonder what happened with his last team as they moved on from him via trade. Ego?

 

[MALMACIAN_CRUNCH]

23 hours ago, BigTed3 said:

One other factor to consider is that Domi and Drouin had a lot of success last year when Andrew Shaw was on their line. Shaw was the motor that made that line go. He did the dirty work, he got the puck, he got to the front of the net... Shaw and Domi were also apparently close friends outside of the rink. This year, you'd have to think that Domi is frustrated by Suzuki stealing his spot in the line-up, as well as his lack of consistent linemates and the fact the locker room dynamic has probably changed with a loud voice in Shaw being traded. Thompson has probably been the guy to take Shaw's spot as a vocal leader on the team, and he's less of a pal with Domi, as far as I can tell...

100% agree. I think Shaw and Domi meshed really well. Shaw is one of those guys, pure testosterone. I think having Shaw there made Domi’s walnuts grow, and that seems to be what brings out the best in him. Question is who can we add to the lineup that can fill that void?

[H_T_L]

Domi looked much better tonight. Made a few nice defensive plays. Still struggling to make plays but I saw an effort.

[CaptWelly]

5 hours ago, MALMACIAN_CRUNCH said:

100% agree. I think Shaw and Domi meshed really well. Shaw is one of those guys, pure testosterone. I think having Shaw there made Domi’s walnuts grow, and that seems to be what brings out the best in him. Question is who can we add to the lineup that can fill that void?

I would like to see him with Armia who has size and can work the corners and Drouin whom he has had some chemistry before and can finish

[ramcharger440]

10 hours ago, H_T_L said:

Domi looked much better tonight. Made a few nice defensive plays. Still struggling to make plays but I saw an effort.

Yeah he looked involved at least!

[jennifer_rocket]

On 2/7/2020 at 3:58 PM, maas_art said:

Really? That surprises me.  He's 24 and has 243 pts in 360 games.   Why would you think he doesnt have a future here? 

Assuming he goes back to wing, we dont have a ton of prospect depth a LW.  Drouin, Domi and Lehks - all good players (and all young) but after that noone really coming up the pipeline to supplant anyone.

 

What dont you like about him long-term?
 

I think I'm just concerned about the long-term cost of Domi. After am exciting 72-point season last year, he's only on pace for 51-52 points this year. And he might be looking for a 7-8 year contract... Can we afford to dish that out to someone who might be a 50-point player for most of his career? His career numbers tell me he's a 55-point-per-season guy. I guess I'm just not that concerned with LW depth. Tatar is likely back next season. We have Drouin. We have Lehkonen. We'll probably have the capacity to acquire someone in the free agency market.

[CaptWelly]

24 minutes ago, jennifer_rocket said:

I think I'm just concerned about the long-term cost of Domi. After am exciting 72-point season last year, he's only on pace for 51-52 points this year. And he might be looking for a 7-8 year contract... Can we afford to dish that out to someone who might be a 50-point player for most of his career? His career numbers tell me he's a 55-point-per-season guy. I guess I'm just not that concerned with LW depth. Tatar is likely back next season. We have Drouin. We have Lehkonen. We'll probably have the capacity to acquire someone in the free agency market.

He also can play center and at this point is still better at center than JK. It also is never a bad thing to have to many players that are capable of playing different positions. I know it's always brought up on this board about having high end skilled players which he is. Fast and skilled, he is one of a few that can carry the puck into the zone which is needed on the PP. I also think he'll do better if we have a more skilled top 9 , which we should have in the up coming near future. 

[jennifer_rocket]

6 hours ago, CaptWelly said:

He also can play center and at this point is still better at center than JK. It also is never a bad thing to have to many players that are capable of playing different positions. I know it's always brought up on this board about having high end skilled players which he is. Fast and skilled, he is one of a few that can carry the puck into the zone which is needed on the PP. I also think he'll do better if we have a more skilled top 9 , which we should have in the up coming near future. 

It's not a matter of having too many players at any one position. It's a matter of putting the best players in the right position to succeed while managing a salary cap. And Domi, IMO, is not one of the players I'm concerned about keeping or not keeping. I just don't see him as someone we'll need at LW for 7-8 years, nor do I see him as the best option down the middle for 7-8 years. Suzuki, Kotkaniemi, Danault... These are players who I think will play a greater role down the middle for this team over the next several years. Not Max. If Max is open to a reasonable contract with a reasonable cap hit, then yeah, I'd love him to be back. If he's looking for an 8-year deal... forget that.

[BigTed3]

16 minutes ago, jennifer_rocket said:

It's not a matter of having too many players at any one position. It's a matter of putting the best players in the right position to succeed while managing a salary cap. And Domi, IMO, is not one of the players I'm concerned about keeping or not keeping. I just don't see him as someone we'll need at LW for 7-8 years, nor do I see him as the best option down the middle for 7-8 years. Suzuki, Kotkaniemi, Danault... These are players who I think will play a greater role down the middle for this team over the next several years. Not Max. If Max is open to a reasonable contract with a reasonable cap hit, then yeah, I'd love him to be back. If he's looking for an 8-year deal... forget that.

Not to mention that you need to trade somebody to get a LHD. You could trade Tatar or Gallagher or Suzuki or Kotkaniemi or Drouin or Weber or Petry, sure. You're not getting a top-pairing D man for Lehkonen or Armia or Thompson or Chiarot though. So someone decent has got to go. Like you said, Domi probably doesn't have much of a future here at center if the Habs use Suzuki down the middle, so he goes into the mix with Tatar and Drouin for LW ice time. You'd figure one of them goes, especially if the Habs manage to re-sign Kovalchuk.

[CaptWelly]

37 minutes ago, BigTed3 said:

Not to mention that you need to trade somebody to get a LHD. You could trade Tatar or Gallagher or Suzuki or Kotkaniemi or Drouin or Weber or Petry, sure. You're not getting a top-pairing D man for Lehkonen or Armia or Thompson or Chiarot though. So someone decent has got to go. Like you said, Domi probably doesn't have much of a future here at center if the Habs use Suzuki down the middle, so he goes into the mix with Tatar and Drouin for LW ice time. You'd figure one of them goes, especially if the Habs manage to re-sign Kovalchuk.

Most teams want a strong top 9 not just 6 , so even if Domi was a wing which is still to be determined JK could also end up at wing? Kovy can play either side. Having someone play wing that is also capable of playing center is good in case of injury also. He is also a lot younger than Tatar and Kovy who neither will probably be here in 5 years. The Wings for years had Datsyk, Federov, Zetterburg and they all played wing at different times Bowman even had Federov play defense. Having skill in your top 9 in todays game is much better than the "old school" 1st/2nd line and just two checking lines. The game is faster and having the depth in the line up is great. Jullien also prefers to role the lines if possible. Romanov could end up being that LD also yet to be determined. Domi also has proven he can play center and be very effective. Last season wasn't that long ago. We all hope JK will become as good as Domi was just last year but he hasn't shown that yet.