'Wherever You Need Me To Play, It's All For The Better Of The Team': Why the Maple Leafs Are Moving Max Domi to Center Ahead of Game Against Lightning
The Maple Leafs are looking for more offense from Domi, who has just four assists in 11 games this season.
The Toronto Maple Leafs made changes throughout their lineup at practice on Sunday, but it looks like there will be quite the role shift for Max Domi, who appears to be set to play center for the first time this season when the club hosts the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday.
"For us, it's seeing if getting the puck in the middle of the ice offensively can kind of help push that line," Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said of the change. "Obviously, having a little more offensive push to the line itself and getting him unlocked as an offensive driver of the group would be an important thing for us. So it's really about that."
The line of Domi, Matthew Knies and David Kampf has struggled since finding themselves together for the third period of the club's comeback 4-3 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Oct. 21. Domi, who signed a one-year, $3 million has yet to find the back of the net this season and has just four assists to boot.
The 28-year-old Domi has spent a lot of time in his NHL career playing in the middle so it shouldn't be a big adjustment for the 5-foot-10 forward.
"At this point in this career, I’ll play left wing, right, wherever you need me to play. It’s all for the better of the team so if that’s what Keefer feels is best for the group then I’m ready to do that."
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The Maple Leafs have 35 goals in 11 games this season and 26 of them have come from Toronto's core four forwards Auston Matthews (11), William Nylander (6), John Tavares (5) and Mitch Marner (4). And it's been two weeks since any other forward outside of those four have scored a goal.
With the Leafs holding their first practice since Oct. 30, Keefe said the timing was right for him to change some things. It's clear changing Toronto's center depth was something they desired to adjust when Kampf spent much of Toronto's 6-4 loss to the Buffalo Sabres switching between third and fourth lines depending on where the faceoffs took place.
Keefe also suggested that Domi has played center with the Leafs this season. It's just that the implementation has been "subtle".
"They’re usually coming at the end of power plays, penalty kills and stuff like that," Keefe said. "He's done a pretty good job of it on the fly, but he hasn't the practice reps and want to make sure he got that today."
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