The Opportunity Cost of Max Domi

Jun 30, 2013; Newark, NJ, USA; Max Domi poses for a photo with team officials after being introduced as the number twelve overall pick to the Phoenix Coyotes during the 2013 NHL Draft at the Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

In the NHL, very few players offer everything a coach asks for. Skaters don’t often come with the ability to score clutch goals- but still assist every other teammate on the ice, incorporate a two-way game, act aggressively, fill a leadership role, and keep their tempers in check. Anze Kopitar, Jamie Benn, Patrick Sharp, Patrice Bergeron, Shane Doan… guys like these spoil us. They embody the exception, not the rule.

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For most players, they must be evaluated looking at their opportunity costs (I’m sorry, I’m auditing some finance courses. Sue me).

In other words, a GM must look at the costs associated with a certain player, and evaluate whether it is worth that price to receive certain benefits.

For Dallas, picking up Tyler Seguin meant potential PR hassles- or underperformance- in exchange for a potential 30-plus goals a season. For Chicago, Patrick Kane cost them an even bigger PR hassle… and $10.5 million annually until I’m in my thirties. For Pittsburgh, Sidney Crosby‘s spectacular play comes with an injury-prone player… and let’s not even talk about Ovechkin. Even with the big stars, a player’s pros must be weighed against his cons to truly prove his worth.

This brings us to Max Domi. The 19-year-old Toronto native is the hot topic in Arizona right now for this very reason. Head Coach Dave Tippett seems happy with Domi’s play, but remains mum on the legacy’s chances with the big team this season. It could be that Tippett is simply waiting to announce the tentative roster until training camp- but in the meantime, let’s break down some of the factors that might be weighing his decision.

Max Domi Pro: He’s a Graceful Loser

Sep 23, 2013; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Phoenix Coyotes forward Max Domi (15) comes from behind the net of Vancouver Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo (1) during the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports

Obviously, even the most mature player won’t crack an NHL roster without the talent to back him up. The world of professional sports is evolving, though- and having a verbally controversial player is now considered to be somewhat of a team liability. Just take a look at this year’s entry draft- Joshua Ho-Sang was one of the most talented payers in the class, but nearly fell to the second round due to his attitude. Even in other sports, this has become a trend- if you think I’m joking, go talk to Johnny Manziel.

Max Domi comes from hockey blood known for being emotionally charged. He handled his exclusion from Team Canada at the Hockey World Juniors last year with grace and professionalism, though, opting to release a pacifying press statement in the stead of personally speaking to the media.

This year, Domi has remained gracious, even when looking back at his snub last year. In an interview with the Toronto Sun, Domi sounded optimistic, rather than petulant:

“I had a blast watching (the world junior last year),” Domi, looking to build off a personal-best 93-point season, said. “You have to be able to deal with a little adversity and not everything is going to be all roses. “But’s a new day and I’m not dwelling on it. I’m just looking forward now.”

Actions speak louder than words, though, and Domi made sure his actions showed a willingness to keep trying, as well. According to Team Canada’s coach, Benoit Groulx, the forward brought his all to every junior team summer camp practice.

It may seem like coaches shouldn’t place as much emphasis on attitude, but a player’s versatility and cooperative nature can mean the world to a coach. Players like Vladimir Sobotka may have the best faceoff percentage on their team, but having a penchance for throwing prima-donna tantrums at perceived low-ball contract offers aren’t something that most teams look to retain on rosters overflowing with talent. Particularly in younger players, a coach is looking for willingness to adapt to a system- and Max Domi is looking like the kind of player willing to do that.

Max Domi Con: He’s Still a Hothead on the Ice

Back when Domi was drafted, he was considered a wild card. According to a prospect report put out by Hockey’s Future.com, Domi was the kind of player who had more talent than he was letting on.

“Sometimes you watch Domi on the ice dipsy-doodling through an entire roster and you wonder how this kid won’t succeed. But other times you watch him unnecessarily dipsy-doodling through an entire roster as his teammates stand with their sticks at the ready, only to turn the puck over in the neutral zone, and you wonder if he’ll ever get it.”

While the former center has learned how to adapt to coaching styles and plays nicer with others than he once did, though, Max Domi can still be counted on for one thing- difficulty keeping his temper in check.

One of my favorite pictures from the World Juniors Development Camp this summer was taken when the Czech Republic triumphed over Team Canada 5-2.

Domi was involved in one of the dozens of on-ice scrums; while he didn’t walk home with the highest number of penalty minutes (that would have been Brett Ritchie, who walked away from the game with 31 penalty minutes, a fighting major, misconduct, and instigator), he was the last player to leave the overcrowded box before the game ended.

This isn’t surprising- practically half the team ended up in the box, with eighty penalty minutes being handed out in the last period-  but it also didn’t look good for a player known for taking retaliatory penalties. During his 2013-2014 season with the OHL’s London Knights, he walked away from the season with a career high 90 PIM. In November of 2013, Domi only had two games where he didn’t receive at least one penalty.

Domi comes from a hockey lineage known for being emotionally charged. His father, Tie, was a fan favorite in Toronto for his role as enforcer- during the 1997-1998 season, Domi Sr. cashed in his own career high 365 PIM.

The league is stepping away from this, though. Instigators are on the rise- and retaliators are on the fall. Max Domi needs to evolve with the league, or he might do the Coyotes more harm than good.
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Max Domi Pro: He’s got the Scorepower Arizona Needs

Sep 27, 2013; Glendale, AZ, USA; Phoenix Coyotes center Max Domi (15) celebrates after a goal by right wing Radim Vrbata (17) during the second period against the San Jose Sharks at Jobing.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Yeah, yeah, I know- it was the OHL. There’s virtually no guarantee that Domi’s success will translate.

Putting that aside for a moment, though, Max Domi knows how to score- and often. During his 2012-2013 season with the London Knights, he fired off 39 goals and 48 assists to finish up the regular season with 87 points. Then, he got drafted twelfth overall- and managed to put up an average of a point and a half in every game he played. In only 61 games, the center-turned-winger pushed his production levels to end up with 93 points.

Even when his numbers are lower than normal, they’re still pretty high. His 2011-2012 season saw him put up a measly 49 points, which sounds laughable when you think about it. Even during his multiple playoff runs, he fired off at least a point a game- in 2013, his 21-game playoff run saw him record 32 points, and this past spring, he had four goals and six assists during the nine games London played in the Memorial Cup.

While his scorepower is obviously above average, though, the thing that really gets him brownie points is the number of assists he used to supplement his 30-plus goal seasons. Just take a look at his record-

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This kind of high goal- and even higher assist- record suggest that not only is Domi versatile as a player, but he’s developing a sense of when to pass and when to score some clutch goals of his own. Should he keep this up, this could be just the player the Arizona Coyotes need- after all, hasn’t the topic of the summer been the need for the Coyotes to add more score power?