The Toronto Maple Leafs’ forward depth is becoming a story all its own. Between underperforming veterans, limited ice time, and rumblings of potential moves, something could be brewing — and it might involve a surprising trade candidate.
As the Maple Leafs try to figure out what to do with David Kampf and his contract, Nestor Quixtan of Heavy.com argues that Domi could be one of the keys that unlock all of this confusion. Domi’s role has quietly shrunk in recent weeks. Once expected to bring energy and creativity to the top six, he has slid into a fourth-line afterthought. As of this writing, he has barely five minutes of ice time through 30 minutes in Tuesday’s rematch between the Maple Leafs and Bruins. This after logging just 8:30 in Sunday’s loss to Carolina.
Domi’s situation mirrors what David Kämpf went through earlier this year: scratched, maybe on the short list to be benched, and potentially available for trade. The problem with Kämpf was that nobody wants his contract. Might someone be interested in Domi?
Domi’s Role Is Shrinking, and Maybe He’ll Go Instead of Kampf…
It’s fair to say that Domi’s season hasn’t gone as planned. He was pegged as a top-line option beside Auston Matthews, but his offensive touch has faded, and his defensive play hasn’t made up for it. He’s got five points in 16 games this season, and given the ice time he’s getting, his numbers are only likely to drop.
Max Domi Maple Leafs trade
Domi’s $3.75 million cap hit and declining role make him a tough sell unless the Leafs retain salary — something GM Brad Treliving isn’t eager to do this early in the season. However, if a team is willing to take Domi on, Kämpf still has some value. It might be wise to use the forward rather than keep him suspended without pay while Domi struggles.
Could Keeping Kämpf Over Domi Be the Right Move?
Kämpf, who’s already been through an ugly process with the team, might not want to stay. But, if Domi becomes the odd man out and Kampf could be back with the team, could bygones be bygones?
If the Leafs can’t move Kämpf, they could flip the script: move Domi, then slide Kampf back into a key defensive role and try to stabilize their bottom six from within. Kämpf remains one of Toronto’s best penalty killers and most reliable faceoff men. The organization still values his defensive consistency, even if his $2.4 million cap hit makes him expendable on paper.
If it sounds risky, it’s probably because it has a downside. If the Leafs dump Domi, only to see him move elsewhere and go off offensively, that’s not ideal. And if they can’t find a trade, waivers might be the option, which could lead to the Leafs potentially losing Domi for no return at all.
Waiving Domi would save Toronto about $1 million in cap space, not a game-changer but enough to create roster flexibility. Whether the risk is worth the reward is something Treliving would have to contemplate.
In short, if Kämpf can’t be moved, but Domi can, there might be an out for Toronto on a forward who isn’t necessarily pulling his weight. Kämpf might be the one who reappears when the smoke clears.
Next: Maple Leafs’ Brandon Carlo was Shopped for Star Winger in Offseason Trade Talks
