Another week, another round of small announcements. There are some recognizable names among the announcements. Chris Bourque was an AHL legend. In theory, no one should know the league better.

Beyond the Marlies, it’s been a week of watching RFAs sign, and notably Patrick Kane, a rumoured target of the Leafs, is off the UFA board. I don’t think anyone other than the Chicago Blackhawks was offering anything close to $8M AAV. They had the money to burn after Connor Bedard’s extension was finalized.

Now back to the Leafs for a few thoughts:

Paper vs. Ice, that is the battle that the Maple Leafs will face this season.

On paper, the Maple Leafs look like a playoff team. The slightest bounce-back years from Auston Matthews and Sergei Bobrovsky would put the team in the mix at the very least. Players like Gavin McKenna and Darren Raddysh are net gains over the Leafs in their roster spots last season. The team is potentially ready to roll.

There is a small problem. Injuries. And what happens when they occur. Every team faces them and will be dealing with them throughout the season. The Leafs have two players in particular who seem like they require elevated concern.

The first is Matthews. The Leafs are one slash to his wrist away from the draft lottery. His chronic back pain is as advertised. Chronic. The Leafs need Matthews to be a 50-goal scorer driving the top line and playing in all situations to be successful. Tavares and Domi as the 1-2 didn’t cut it. Tavares and Nick Paul won’t either.

The Leafs’ scoring depth is improved this year with the additions of Paul, Jack Roslovic, and McKenna. If Domi returns, that depth is better than most clubs. The problem remains that the Maple Leafs have an injury-prone star player, and that makes risk mitigation a challenge.

Chris Tanev needs to be healthy and to do Chris Tanev things for the Maple Leafs blueline to work. The blueline might be old, but on paper it could work. If Tanev’s injury history and/or age don’t factor into it. That’s a big ask and one that requires the Maple Leafs putting a lot of defensive responsibilities almost entirely on Jake McCabe. That wasn’t a good idea last year (with Brandon Carlo around), and it’s even less of a good idea this year.

The Maple Leafs look like a team that can win forty games on paper, but have they considered whether they are a team that can win forty games when Matthews only plays in 60 of them? Or Tanev plays in 40?

The Leafs could have been better at mitigating risks to these key positions in free agency. Perhaps the front office feels more confident in the balanced forward line approach. Maybe they believe that players like Ben Danford or Emil Andrae will be the solutions to defensive injuries. From my outsider perspective, it looks like a healthy roster is the only path to the playoffs.

There’s no guarantee that Max Domi returns. That would be unfortunate for him, and now more than ever, that might be unfortunate for the Maple Leafs. Domi represents some sheltered scoring that now has players in the bottom six who can insulate him. The Maple Leafs could benefit from an additional scoring winger who could be insurance for injuries or under-performers.

It’s taken me a few years, but I think I’ve been worn down enough to think that Max Domi might be an answer to a question other than “who should the Maple Leafs consider buying out?”

Cap-wise, Domi isn’t a fit. Give it a few games into the season, and I’m sure there will be some space available for him.

Lineup card-wise, there is a fit. Domi looks like he belongs perfectly with Teddy Blueger and Dakota Joshua. Two players who can play responsibly enough in their sheltered role and are begging for an offensive catalyst.

Domi gives the Maple Leafs options. He helps the four-line deep philosophy even if he couldn’t be the furthest thing from a fit for Jim Hiller’s 1-3-1 system.

I never thought I’d say it, but I’m curious to see what happens if the Leafs give Domi another chance. As long as the chance isn’t on the top line or playing centre, it’s already an improvement over the Craig Berube chances.