Max Domi Could Help Fix The Anaheim Ducks Identity Crisis

The Wrap Up

If we take all of the above together, then the Anaheim Ducks have an avenue to potentially get younger and faster in the forward group. Domi has a number of question marks surrounding himself, yet he’s a player with some skill as a playmaker, speed to burn, and plays just close enough to the edge to endear himself to a fan base craving some excitement.

Certainly, Domi is no Corey Perry, however, he has the offensive chops to be a relatively prolific scorer for the next few years, and the grit to be an entertainer for a few years more. Over time it will become essential for the player in question to adapt and alter his play style to remain relevant, however, the Ducks have time to let this happen.

As the son of a former NHL’er it would seem that Domi would have had a lot of instruction in his junior days. This may have given him some insight into what did and did not work for his development. This could easily link in with the development of the Ducks prospects, who will also be able to lean on Groulx, who is the son of a coach. It may only be a small consideration, however, the Ducks are at a stage of their “rebuild” that will require the development of their prospects to be smooth as butter.

Any and all help that can be found to realize this should be taken on board. In Domi’s case it is but a passing extra on what is already a desirable package, but its one they should consider. Leadership often grows on people, and perhaps Domi can grasp that in Anaheim as he gets a little older.

To pull this trade scenario off, the Ducks will have to move some assets they may not otherwise wish to move. However, it should be noted that trading a young defenceman to move older players contracts in cap dump scenarios, is almost par for the course in today’s NHL. Henrique isn’t necessarily a cap dump, as he is still a productive player, though it’s debatable how long he’ll keep his scoring pace going.

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He could continue and finish out his career at his current rates, or he could eventually succumb to age as so many scorers do after hitting their 30’s. Nonetheless, the Ducks are not in a “win now” mode and should consider getting younger. Henrique’s contract is such, that few teams can absorb it, though it’s likely in this flat cap COVID-19 world that we see more hockey trades and similar contracts traded, rather than the cap dumps of the past. Regardless of that, Montreal may just be one of the few teams who can absorb Henrique’s deal.

Moving the picks would hurt, but not as much as it would if Murray was as good at drafting in that range as people want to believe. Certainly, Fredrick Andersen re-entering the draft and being selected by the Ducks is a feather in Murray cap, however, outside of the star netminder, we’re left with a number of players like Igor Bobkov, Andy Wellinski, or Brent Gates.

The Ducks have a lower percentage of third-round selections become NHL players than the average of all NHL teams. Thus, we can see with that in mind that losing the draft selections could hurt as it prevents us from finding an Andersen, but with only one relevant NHL player in over 10 years of drafting, the odds are pretty slim.

To round it all off, Montreal gets some scoring in the short term with Henrique, a defensive prospect they can work with in Guhle, and a couple of draft selection over the next few years with which to build their team. Certainly, negotiations could be made and the players and the draft picks can be altered, however, it appears as good a starting point as any for a team that is already seemingly done with their player.

The Anaheim Ducks get five years younger and just a little bit faster up front. Domi should easily slot into a top-6 center spot for the Ducks in the short term, which would alleviate any pressure on Sam Steel to become a top-6 scorer. It may also provide the Ducks with some freedom to go out and draft a sniper with their prized #6 draft selection.

With a future including a playmaker like Domi feeding them, it would appear that a prime time goal scorer like Alexander Holtz could be a welcome fit in an Anaheim jersey. Good players create options for the team, and acquiring Domi could very easily do that for the Anaheim Ducks. And… It may be nice to stir up the Arizona Coyotes fan base with their old player… But maybe that’s just me.

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