The Toronto Maple Leafs signed one of the most coveted forwards left on the free agent market by agreeing to a one-year, $3 million contract with Max Domi.
The 28-year-old will provide the Leafs with middle-six scoring and scrappiness on the left wing; last season, he scored 20 goals and 56 points while racking up 82 penalty minutes for the Chicago Blackhawks and Dallas Stars.
Domi will hope his 2023-2024 season will be enough to earn a longer deal in Toronto after consecutive seasons of being traded to a contending team at the deadline.
The player also has plenty of sentimental ties to the Maple Leafs, a franchise his father Tie played 775 games for and leads in all-time penalty minutes and fighting majors. The younger Domi grew up in Toronto during his father’s playing days.
The signing continues a strong message from Brad Treliving that the Leafs will not be pushed around again like they were during their five-game series defeat to the Florida Panthers in the conference semifinals.
Treliving started his first offseason in Ontario by signing leading NHL heavyweight Ryan Reaves. Domi and Tyler Bertuzzi, who also signed with Toronto on Saturday, will give the Maple Leafs plenty of toughness in their top nine forwards.
Treliving and coach Sheldon Keefe know how important the 2024 postseason will be for the club and seem determined to get it right during a contract year for superstar Auston Matthews.
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