Arizona Coyotes: Max Domi Eclipses 50 Points In Rookie Campaign
Arizona Coyotes rookie forward Max Domi eclipsed the 50-point mark in Saturday’s 3-0 shutout victory over the Washington Capitals.
Max Domi is not the best player on the Arizona Coyotes roster. Not yet, anyway.
That accolade goes to defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who picked up the 2015-16 team MVP trophy in the festivities prior to the game on Saturday night.
It’s not beyond the realm of possibility for Domi to achieve that title someday. Someday soon, perhaps. For now, it would be hard to argue that anyone not wearing #16 is the clear number two on the Coyotes’ roster.
He provides a spark offensively each and every night, he fights and takes no guff, and now he’s sporting 51 points in his inaugural season in the National Hockey League. Team leader Oliver Ekman-Larsson has 52. Knock, knock, OEL!
To put Max Domi’s excellent first season into perspective, let’s consider that Domi was drafted 12th overall in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. Only Nathan MacKinnon (1st overall), Aleksander Barkov (2nd overall), and Sean Monahan (6th overall) have eclipsed the 50-point plateau for the 2013 class. Barkov just accomplished the feat this season, his third in the NHL at age 20.
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That’s pretty good company for a 5’10 forward in a league dominated by behemoths.
Along with teammate and best friend Anthony Duclair, the pair have helped pace all Arizona Coyotes rookies to 50 goals and 132 points on the season which is the top point total for rookies in the league.
His success speaks even more highly of the new, more conservative process behind the Arizona Coyotes prospect development. Had Domi been brought in as a pseudo-savior last season, perhaps he wouldn’t have seen this level of success. Spending an extra year with London in junior, captaining the team, and developing his game further has paid dividends for Domi and Coyotes, however.
Don’t look now, NHL, but the Coyotes have followed a similar process with future franchise cornerstone Dylan Strome. Strome also could have made the roster last fall, but he was sent back to Erie for seasoning. Now he’s captaining his Otters in the OHL playoffs. This story might sound familiar.
Max Domi’s excellence has extended beyond the ice for the Arizona Coyotes. Domi is the Coyotes nominee for the 2016 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.
The Professional Hockey Writers Association nominates one player from each NHL team each year for the annual award that is given to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.
Next: The 10 Best Coyotes Goals From The First Half Of The 2015-16 Season
Domi has been a draw in every arena the Coyotes have visited in 2015-16 due to his diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes and his support of others, particularly youth, who suffer from the disease.
The kid has been a revelation for the Arizona Coyotes. It’s hard to imagine a pathway, beyond injury, where next season’s predicted additions of Dylan Strome and Christian Dvorak don’t allow him to take the next step in the near future.