It certainly wasn't the beginning of his Blue Jackets' career that Max Domi envisioned.
He was a healthy scratch multiple times, bounced around from center to wing and back again, and had trouble finding chemistry with his linemates.
Throughout the year, many pundits compared Domi's slow start with Josh Anderson's red-hot start after the two were traded for each other in October of 2020. Interestingly enough, the two each finished with 24 points, although Anderson did it in two fewer games.
Despite those troubles, he finished fifth on the team with nine goals, and his 15 assists also rank fifth.
Domi's Year
| GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | PS | PIM | S% | GWG | TOI | CF% | xG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 54 | 9 | 15 | 24 | -18 | 1.4 | 75 | 9.1 | 2 | 15:13 | 46.5 | 6.1 |
Domi's tough year is shown in his point shares. Over the course of the season, he contributed 1.4 points to the Blue Jackets' record, which was ninth overall among skaters. By all accounts, it was Domi's worst NHL season to date.
He scored two game-winning goals after scoring three a season ago with Montreal. John Tortorella said multiple times over the course of the season that he needed more consistency from Domi, and that was something that the Canadian was not able to provide. Domi averaged 15:13 of ice time this season, a far cry from the 17:15 that he averaged in Montreal.
Notable Highlight
There's no question that Domi has the skill to succeed, but his consistency is something that needs to improve. One instance of his skill appearing was in the Blue Jackets' final game this season against the Red Wings. He played 18:52, went 64% on faceoffs, notched three shots, and scored the game-winning goal in overtime.
Two Red Wings went after Oliver Bjorkstrand, leaving Domi alone in the middle of the ice. Bjorkstrand found him with a nice pass, giving the Blue Jackets a 2-on-1 break about 40 feet from Calvin Pickard. Domi had Seth Jones on his left, but he elected to rip it himself.
Outlook for Next Season
After next season, Domi will be an unrestricted free agent. He has one more year remaining on the two-year, 10.6 million-dollar deal he signed with the Blue Jackets after they acquired him from Montreal.
Domi came to Columbus expecting to play center, and that's where he should start next year. In his last 14 games, he tallied 4-6-10 while winning 49% of faceoffs. It's a contract year for Domi, and if he can play as he did in Montreal, he'll earn himself a much bigger payday than if he turns in another year like the one he just had.
"It was a tough year, obviously," said Domi in his exit interview. "I started out really struggling, and it was tough to get out of that. I kinda went with the mindset that no matter what, you're going to finish strong, and by the time I got going it was almost too little too late. (We) spin that into a positive. (I'm) going into the summer with a much clearer head and better mindset, and there's definitely a lot of hunger coming into next year. I know the potential's there, the skills are still there. Just gotta be consistent with it, and come back ready to go."
