Max Domi is cleared for contact, eyes return in Blue Jackets' season-opener
Told he'd miss at least five months after shoulder surgery in June, the feisty forward sunk himself into hours of rehab work ... and a swimming pool.
Brian Hedger
Max Domi’s powder blue “non-contact” practice jersey is no longer necessary.
It was replaced Thursday by one that didn’t carry any special designation, which in itself was a special designation for Domi, who had surgery June 4 to repair the labrum in his right shoulder and was supposed to be out until November at the earliest.
According to the team’s release following surgery, Domi was expected to miss “five to six months” rehabbing. In fact, the uncertainty of his return was one of the reasons the Blue Jackets took a calculated risk in this summer's NHL expansion draft by protecting Eric Robinson and leaving Domi exposed.
The shoulder, along with his $5.3 million salary and pending free agency, might’ve scared the Seattle Kraken too. They selected defenseman Gavin Bayreuther instead. Bayreuther didn't sign with Seattle, re-signed with the Blue Jackets and now he and Domi are back in the same organization.
Bayreuther will start the year with the Cleveland Monsters, but Domi might be ready to go for the Jackets' season-opener next Thursday at Nationwide Arena.
“I’m not allowed to say anything,” he said, laughing. “We’ll see.”
His grin said enough. Unless there's a setback, Domi’s odds of playing against the Arizona Coyotes for the opener seem fairly good.
“We’ve been progressing really well,” said Domi, who was acquired in a trade Oct. 6, 2020 that sent forward Josh Anderson to the Montreal Canadiens. “I was lucky to have a great team back home (in Ontario), which was awesome. Every single day this summer was geared towards trying to get healthy and thinking outside the box, getting lots of extra treatment here and there, and doing some outside-the-box workout type things.”
Indoor rock climbing was one of them. Hiring a swim coach and logging laps in the pool was another.
“It was fun,” Domi said. “I enjoyed it. There were some days that were tougher, for sure, but it pays off in the end. Skating by yourself (during training camp), it’s great to be back out there but it’s not the same as skating with the boys. So, today was pretty exciting for me, for sure.”
Domi's speedy recovery
It must have been a pleasant surprise for Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen, who wasn’t expecting Domi's return until quite a bit later.
Had Domi's shoulder taken longer to heal than expected, there wouldn’t have been a lot of time left before the trade deadline. Offers to obtain him as a rental forward might've been shockingly low, if they materialized at all.
Now, once he gains clearance to play, Domi will get more time to inflate his trade value. Also, he'll get more time to help the Blue Jackets prove their growing horde of skeptics wrong.
“There’s always concerns about too soon,” coach Brad Larsen said. “That’s where we’ve got to be careful. The player wants to play, and I get that, but sometimes you can get in your own way as a player. So, we’ve got to be smart. He might be feeling good, but to get up to speed for a game, we’ll see. We’ve got a week here, just under a week, and we’ll keep progressing. Max is going the right direction, which is a real exciting thing for us, and we’re happy for that.”
Climbing, swimming and healing
Domi's happy too.
The center is reaping the reward for dedicating himself to shoulder rehab throughout the summer. Working long days, seven days a week, he steadily built strength and increased his range of motion.
“I did a lot of rock climbing and I had never done rock climbing before,” Domi said. “But I have a whole new respect for the rock-climbing community. What those guys and girls can do, it takes a lot of strength, a lot of little muscles in your shoulders and upper body that you would never realize exist until you try it.”
Swimming was also a challenge, especially when his "dense" body composition sunk him like a stone.
“I did a lot of stuff in the pool,” Domi said. “I had a full-time swim coach, basically. I’m not trying to be Michael Phelps, but for range of motion and stuff like that, it was amazing how much I responded to that."
Domi also got back on his skates “quickly” and put in some hard work on using his edges better. The hope is that it pays off in tight areas around the ice, helping him return to top form after posting just nine goals, 15 assists and 24 points in 54 games last season.
“It’s easy to tell yourself that you’re always good, but I think at this level we owe it to ourselves and our teammates to be honest with one another and you’ve got to be honest with yourself,” Domi said. “Sometimes that’s tough. You look at yourself and say, ‘That wasn’t what I could’ve done and what I should’ve done,’ so let’s bounce back from it and use it as a positive to somehow become a better hockey player from it. That’s where I’m at.”
As for being left exposed by the Blue Jackets and not selected by the Kraken?
“I didn’t make that decision,” Domi said. “Someone else did and they’re not the ones playing on the ice. I am. So, that’s all I can really focus on is what I can do to get on the ice and be the best player I can be. … I try not to get into that stuff. I care too much. So, it is what it is, and that’s stuff that isn’t in your control. So, it’s (over) now. I’m here. I’m in Columbus with the Blue Jackets and there’s no other place I’d rather be right now.”
bhedger@dispatch.com
@BrianHedger