Max Domi’s recovery is already giving Toronto’s revamped performance group a real job to do.
The Maple Leafs brought in a fresh wave of help on the sports performance side this summer, and the first major test may be as simple as this: get Domi to a point where he can keep his career in Toronto moving into 2026-27. Right now, that’s far from settled.
He is still working back from offseason surgery that came with complications, and his status for 2026-27 is in serious doubt. Toronto is expecting an evaluation at the start of training camp to get a clearer read on where things stand.
That makes Domi one of the most important players to monitor once camp opens, not because of where he fits in the lineup, but because of how carefully the Leafs will have to handle his return. The organization overhauled its performance and training staff for a reason, and this is exactly the kind of situation where that new structure matters.
Toronto hired Andy O'Brien to oversee its Sports Performance department, then added Jason Martin as Head Strength & Conditioning Coach, Josh Crouse as Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach, Dr. Craig Slaunwhite as Director, Health and Performance Integration, and Dr.
Jordan Shallow as Human Performance Consultant. The idea is straightforward: give the team a group focused on physical readiness and injury-risk mitigation.
Once Domi is cleared to get back to hockey activities, that group will have to map out the next steps with care. Coaches like Crouse and Martin will be responsible for building routines and training plans that restore his strength while also preparing him for the grind of an NHL season. Slaunwhite’s role is especially important here, because the medical and performance sides will need to work in sync rather than in separate lanes.
The key point for Toronto is that Domi’s medical clearance has to drive the timeline, not roster convenience. The Leafs do have options if he isn’t ready. They added enough forward depth to cover his spot in the bottom six, and they can place him on LTIR if they believe he’ll miss at least 10 games, which would give them cap relief.
But that only lasts until he returns, and the club cannot afford to rush him. If he’s not physically ready, forcing him back would do more harm than good. At that point, it wouldn’t just be about whether he can dress for a game - it would be about whether his body can handle what Toronto asks of him over time.
Jim Hiller would also have a lineup puzzle on his hands once Domi is available. He’d need to find a place for him without disrupting whatever chemistry the team has already built. He’d also have to decide whether Domi’s playmaking deserves top-six minutes right away or a slower reentry.
That’s not a simple call. Domi is too streaky to be a dependable top-six fixture every night, but sliding him into the bottom six could squeeze out a player like Easton Cowan or force one of Toronto’s new additions out of the lineup.
For now, the Leafs’ added depth should buy them patience. They do not need to force Domi back before he is medically and physically prepared. The catch is that nobody knows exactly where his status stands until that camp evaluation arrives.
The new performance staff won’t magically fix everything on its own, and Domi will still have to do the work to get back to form. But the structure around him is in place now, and Toronto’s hope is that the medical and performance groups can stay aligned and help guide him through the recovery process with everyone on the same page.
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