Fiery Comments From Maple Leafs Forward Max Domi Put Entire NHL on Notice
Photo credit: Timothy T. Ludwig - Imagn Images
Maple Leafs forward Max Domi has sent a message to all 31 other NHL teams who think the Leafs are going to be an easy out in the 2025-26 season.
The Toronto Maple Leafs' identity under Sheldon Keefe was very much based around a dynamic offense, but they ultimately lacked the grit and feistiness needed to win in this league, akin to the Florida Panthers as an example of a team with a very clear identity.
Under Craig Berube, however, things have shaped out very differently with the Leafs playing a north-south system, forechecking harder, and being a lot tougher to play against -- which is something we should see more of this year, at least according to Max Domi, who put the other 31 NHL teams on notice on Wednesday.
"We're going to be hard to play against and I think that's the key. Teams are going to know, when they see our team on the schedule, that's gonna be a tough night. You gotta back it up, and it starts with the habits at practice, competing against your buddies, and that's hard to do. But, if you do it every single day for the course of the whole season, you're setting yourself up for success."
The additions of Dakota Joshua and Nicolas Roy will help with cultivating that team identity on an every night basis. The Leafs added a lot of grit, size, and depth this off-season with those two moves and they're better for it.
Domi's comments show that the Leafs are changing the way they want to be seen around the league and they want the opposition to dread having to see the Maple Leafs on their upcoming schedule instead of getting excited about it.
With how the team is currently set up, we should see a lot of what Domi was saying in his interview with Ryan Leslie. Their practices and pre-season contests have shown us a glimpse into their new style of play, but as the veteran forward mentioned, you have to back up your talk.
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