It was announced by the Montreal Canadiens on July 12th that the team would wait 7-10 days before determining if forward Max Domi will participate in Phase 3, but Domi has now joined the team for full practices.
The Canadiens and Max Domi have agreed to wait 7-to-10 days before deciding if the forward will join the team for Phase 3.https://t.co/Fkuv1HSl0a
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) July 12, 2020
He’s back!@maxdomi joined the Canadiens on the ice at training camp this morning.
(🎥: @CanadiensMTL)pic.twitter.com/kLdig493GB
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) July 20, 2020
Max Domi Decides to Return to Play
The decision to wait was wise with Max Domi’s health condition. He would be more susceptible to catching the COVID-19 virus. Players have the option without any penalty to opt-out of Phase 3 and 4 of the NHL’s Return to Play plan.
Domi’s return to the Habs roster gives a significant boost to a thin offence. They hardly made it to the play-in qualification with a .500 winning percentage which was the lowest in the 24 teams who made it. They are scheduled to play the Pittsburgh Penguins which is a tough matchup for any team.
What This Means for the Future
Retaining Max Domi’s scoring ability where he collected 17 goals and 27 assists for 44 points in 71 games will be a godsend for Montreal. Yet still, his productivity decreased this season from last season. He tallied 28 goals and 44 assists good for 72 points while playing all 82 games in 2018-19.
The Montreal club barely missed the playoffs last season and still have a shot to participate this time. Without Domi in the lineup, things may have looked bleak. He has added 81 goals and 170 assists for 251 points in 375 NHL games. That kind of offence being missing would’ve done in the Canadiens’ chances of getting by the Penguins.
In the end, Max Domi and the Canadiens are looking towards his safety with his health issues causing concern. Even with Domi’s diabetic helper dog, Orion, it may not be enough to secure the confidence that he can play safely.
Yet still, the team has approved Domi to return to play. He had the opportunity to opt-out and chose not to. Now, he looks towards helping the team in the Stanley Cup Qualifiers.
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