Blackhawks: Signing Max Domi

The next instalment of the signing series talks about Max Domi. He’s been bounced around the league a bit, and currently plays with the Hurricanes in the role of a depth player. His ability to produce offensively while also being sound defensively makes him an appealing unrestricted free agent this off-season. During the regular season, Domi had 32 points in 53 games with the Blue Jackets until being traded. After that, he played 19 games with the Hurricanes and added 7 points. 

He can score goals and play defensively, but another advantage that isn’t talked about with him is his willingness to bang bodies and be more physical than his opponents. He’s not the biggest guy on the planet, so his ability to throw his weight around and get under guys skin game in and game out is fun to watch.

Unfortunately, Domi has taken a dip as far as his value goes due to his sliding production as each season passes. Since his career year in 2018-19 with the Canadiens where he put up 72 points, he hasn’t been able to surpass 50 again in a season. A change of scenery and some better teammates on a rebuilding team could help bring him back to his form. 

Should the Blackhawks sign Domi?

In my opinion, yes. Similar to everyone in this instalment, the money has to be right. I would bring him in for a short 1-2 year deal worth no more than $2.3M. His current cap hit is $5.3M, and he’s no longer worth that. He can bring some offense to the bottom 6 while being the leading physical presence when he needs to be. 

If the Blackhawks look at Domi, it’s fairly likely he’d become a project with the organization. If it’s a short term bridge deal and it works out, he could become a massive part of the rebuild. But, if he continues to slide then they just trade him and retain, or let him walk. Hence the idea of a short term deal.