Max Domi carries a $3.75M cap hit, and Toronto spent the summer adding four middle-six forwards while knowing his recovery timeline was uncertain.
That makes Nick Paul, Teddy Blueger, Brandon Duhaime and Jack Roslovic look less like simple depth additions and more like insurance against losing Domi's minutes.
Domi's offseason surgery recovery has been well-documented. He has been dealing with complications that have kept him off the ice since May.
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Now, Nick Alberga is reporting that Domi will not be at training camp. However, given John Chayka's offseason moves, it appears as though the Leafs were prepared for this reality.
Toronto built four layers of middle-six insurance while Domi's $3.75M status remained uncertain
On May 25, it was announced that Domi was going to be out indefinitely following complications from surgery. At the time, there was no guarantee that he would return in time for camp.
Throughout the Summer, Chayka rebuilt the middle-six knowing there was a realistic chance Domi would not be available come opening night. This led to the acquisition of guys like Nick Paul, Brandon Duhaime, Teddy Blueger, and even Jack Roslovic.
When Toronto made these decisions, they had depth in mind. Injuries can leave a team broken; the Leafs had a plan to avoid any big roster issues. Domi's potential absence was accounted for, and Chayka's stroke of genius could make or break the early going of the Leafs' season.
While losing Domi is unfortunate, especially at the start of the season, it's not as though the Leafs don't have players who can step up and compete.
Toronto's cap squeeze makes more sense if Domi's absence was part of the summer contingency plan
The interesting number is $3.75 million. That is Domi's cap hit, and it is larger than Toronto's current $2.75-million overage. If his absence eventually creates LTIR flexibility, the Leafs' aggressive summer spending looks less reckless than it does on the surface.
Before training camp, teams always run various scenarios pertaining to the salary cap and their roster's health. With Domi designated as out indefinitely back in May, Toronto likely had a model planned out for a potential Domi camp absence.
The Leafs' tight cap position may look reckless from the outside, but Domi's known uncertainty could have influenced how aggressively they spent.
The real question is not whether Domi's absence surprised Toronto. It is whether Toronto built this roster expecting it might happen.
Do you believe Max Domi will ever play for the Toronto Maple Leafs again?
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