Max Domi won't be ready for Toronto's opening night, and the timing couldn't be worse for his spot in the lineup.
Leafs Morning Take co-host Nick Alberga reported Domi is still recovering from offseason back surgery and will miss time to start the 2026-27 season.
Domi is officially day-to-day with a back injury described as questionable for the start of the season.
He played 80 games for Toronto last season, scoring 12 goals and 36 points while logging just under 15 minutes a night.
Domi spent plenty of that time on the top line next to Auston Matthews. That job isn't waiting around for him now.
New GM John Chayka added Jack Roslovic, who posted 36 points in 69 games, and drafted Gavin McKenna first overall this summer.
Roslovic has history with Matthews from before. Domi's the better facilitator of the two, but that argument doesn't hold up against McKenna.
Domi's crowded path back into Toronto's lineup
The middle six is packed even without Domi in the mix right now.
Nick Paul, Roslovic, Colton Sissons, McKenna, Brandon Duhaime, and Teddy Blueger are all expected to dress on opening night.
Sissons brought 11 points in 66 games with Nashville last season, while Blueger added 17 points in just 35 games.
Domi still has two years left on his deal at $3,700,000 annually, and he carries a 13-team no-trade clause that limits where he could even go.
Chayka used to be his trainer back with the London Knights, and Domi calls Mats Sundin an uncle, so a trade out of Toronto looks unlikely regardless of the roster crunch.
Toronto currently sits $2,700,000 over the salary cap, and moving Domi to LTIR solves that problem the moment the season opens.
Whenever Domi is actually healthy enough to play, he's going to have to fight for a job that used to be handed to him. That's a strange spot for a player this familiar with the organization.
Will Max Domi still have a regular role once he returns from injury?
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