Toronto Maple Leafs general manager John Chayka has provided some disappointing news regarding Max Domi. It was revealed in May that the veteran forward was dealing with complications after offseason surgery. At the time, Toronto claimed that the winger would be reevaluated ahead of training camp.
Now that Maple Leafs training camp is set to begin, Chayka has provided an update. “Max Domi failed his physical. He will be out indefinitely,” Chayka told media members on September 16, as reported by Arun Srinivasan. While an exact timeline was not provided by the Maple Leafs GM, NHL insider David Pagnotta is reporting that the forward is expected to miss “a chunk of the season.”
Unfortunately for the Toronto Maple Leafs, there was more bad news on the injury front. Star veteran defenseman Morgan Rielly is also dealing with an issue, and a highly rated youngster is seemingly out long-term.
“Morgan Rielly came in with a viral condition, nothing that we’re worried about,” continued Chayka. “(He) might miss the first game but is expected to be ready for opening night. William Villeneuve out with ACL reconstruction.”
Rielly’s future with the club was very much up in the air most of the summer. In fact, the blueliner was heavily linked with a move out of town in the offseason. Rielly even provided Chayka with a four-team destination list. Nevertheless, the Toronto Maple Leafs GM recently revealed that a trade was never particularly close.
Villeneuve, on the other hand, was looking to make Toronto’s NHL roster, despite a logjam in defense. The Vancouver Canucks were recently urged to target the defenseman if the Toronto Maple Leafs put him through waivers. However, the 24-year-old prospect will now be sidelined due to the knee injury.
Toronto Maple Leafs Revamp Roster Amid Max Domi Injury Situation
The Toronto Maple Leafs were likely well aware of the precarious situation regarding Domi. After all, the aforementioned update on the forward back in May was certainly not positive. With this in mind, Chayka revamped a significant portion of his forward group. In fact, six new centers/wingers have recently entered the fray in Toronto.
Headlining this particular list was first-overall draft pick Gavin McKenna. The Maple Leafs surprisingly landed the top selection despite having the fifth-worst record in the NHL a season ago. The highly rated forward is expected to be immediately slotted in on one of the top two lines to start the upcoming campaign.
Outside of McKenna, the Toronto Maple Leafs also brought in Jack Roslovic, Teddy Blueger, Nick Paul, Colton Sissons, and Brandon Duhaime. As a result of the revamp, Toronto is now technically over the cap limit. Nevertheless, Chayka could very well put Domi on LTIR to save money.
Toronto Provides Positive Update on Defenseman
The Toronto Maple Leafs roster update on September 16 was not all negative, though. Chayka also revealed that Chris Tanev is set to return to the ice. “We feel really confident that his injuries are in a good place,” said Chayka, as reported by Arun Srinivasan. “He’s an important piece to any team that he’s trying to be successful (with).”
Tanev previously underwent surgery to fix a core muscle issue back in March. The injury forced the defenseman to miss much of the 2025-26 campaign. In fact, the veteran was able to play just 11 games last season.
Maple Leafs Announce Forward Fails Physical; Blueliner Hurts ACL