Could the Carolina Hurricanes look to trade for Max Domi?
With Sportsnet listing the Montreal Canadiens center as someone who could be moved, could the Carolina Hurricanes land the pending restricted free agent?
I’m well aware that the idea of trading for a Montreal Canadiens center has a severe sense of irony. Yet, here we are. Max Domi is someone being linked with a trade away from Quebec, and knowing the Canes scoring struggles in previous years, a move for the forward could make a lot of sense.
Yes, I’m sure the idea of doing business with the Canadiens isn’t something Tom Dundon dreams about. However, at the deadline, the Hurricanes supposedly inquired about Jeff Petry, so clearly Dundon isn’t so petty about the whole offer-sheet thing. So, if the two franchises get the approvals from their owners to make a deal, what could it look like and why would the Canes make it?
Domi may seem like a familiar name if you’re an elder fan of the NHL. That would be because his father was a boxer on skates. Tie Domi still sparks nightmares in some former NHL players for the fierce career he had, accumulating 3515 penalty minutes in his career, and most of them being fighting majors. He was violent, and I’m sure would be considered by today’s standards as a dirty player.
I mention Tie because it relates to Max. Max grew up watching his father just bully people for a living. Max doesn’t do it to the same level, but in this day and age, he does have to restrain himself. Domi has shown brief moments when the red mist descends and he snaps. His temperament could be a nice addition to a locker-room of guys who don’t stereotypically do things like that, especially in the playoffs.
Now, into the main reason, Carolina would want the former 12th overall pick. Domi is a very good player. Over his two year stint in Montreal, he’s recorded 116 points in 153 games. He has not missed a game, and he’s been a key cog in Montreal. While his primary route of scoring isn’t the goal-scoring the Canes crave so badly, he’s a great playmaker and would be a good fit on the 2nd line.
5 years ago, @max_domi scored one of the craziest goals we've ever seen while with the @LondonKnights 😳
— Hockey Night in Canada (@hockeynight) January 24, 2020
(🎥: @londonknights) pic.twitter.com/d59BK1TZhJ
Oh yeah, he also did that in juniors. Just because it’s not his primary way of scoring points doesn’t mean he’s not fully capable of putting the puck in the back of the net. He is still very capable of lashing a puck into the top corner on any goalie., or in this case, hurdling the goalie and sliding the puck into a completely empty net. I guess it works either way.
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So, what could Carolina give up to tempt Bergevin to part with Max Domi? There’s been a suggested idea from Montreal fans that it could be something like Nino Niederreiter and Brady Skjei for Domi and Victor Mete. If that is the asking price from Bergevin and Montreal, the Canes make out like bandits. However, I feel it’d likely need to be more than that.
With Montreal having the brother of two Canes players, something uniting the brothers could be in order. Something like Haydn Fleury and Ryan Suzuki could be in place. It would likely need to bring a pick back with Domi, maybe something like a 2nd, but this is all speculation. Again, I know nothing more than any common fan.
I did mention earlier that Domi is an RFA and would need a new contract, so what would he make?
All in all, I believe that trading for Max Domi could have serious benefits for Carolina. Domi fills a need that has been a major hole for the Canes for a long time. Fixing that hole could push the Hurricanes over the top, ready to take that next step towards capturing Lord Stanley’s Cup once again.