Quoting: Beargold
I just don't think his responsibility (or lack thereof) while attempting to be a play maker is what VAN should be after. Sportsnet has a pretty good article about the Leafs as a whole, but it highlights some of what I'm talking about with Domi trying to force offense rather than play reliably: https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/systems-analyst-how-one-oilers-goal-highlighted-maple-leafs-biggest-issues/
VAN is after a centre, and it is important that Domi can play that, but I think it would create more headaches than it would solve if they were to try and bring him in. In a perfect world, I'd say Drury (CAR) or Frost (PHI) but they'd be quite expensive and neither of their respective teams would have much interest in trading them.. Guess it's Henrique, lol.
I'd love Frost. I don't know if he's still in the doghouse with Torts and so I'm not sure if he's available now
Looking at the link, the analysis is off, that is the story of Knies making mistake after mistake. Domi is a little in elegant in a couple spot, but all in all is good. The pass in the play is fine and in the other plays in the montage they are also fine, the problem is the Leafs just don't battle for pucks.
Especially in the play broken down when the puck goes across there is no way the Edmonton player should end up on top of Knies, that should be a least a 50/50 puck and there's no way he should be able to move out with speed. Domi should be pressuring Edmonton skater through the neutral zone, and although he does it a little inelegantly, it's hard to say if that is his fault or a system's fault. However, it works. Edmonton get's completely crossed up and yeah they enter the zone, but they do so without speed, out formation and all bunched up. Domi gets back to his own guy and is just about to take him but Knies comes streaking back with speed and takes him. That's fine, but he's taken the center position. Domi does what he's supposed to and swaps with Knies, but then Knies doesn't take the position he's taken. Imagine if a forward covered for a D and then just wandered off back to forward before the D swapped back with him. It would be on the person holding the position.
It's not surprising, Knies is a rookie, but man that is the story of Knies making multiple mistakes and honestly Domi looks pretty good to me. The pass doesn't connect, but is dangerous and can lead to a high danger chance. More importantly, the downside is very low, until Knies just doesn't battle. If Knies battles the Leafs actually are in a good spot since the puck is basically in the opposite corner, where Edmonton doesn't have support. If Knies didn't try to take the puck and on the inside and takes the player on the outside, this looks great.