- Max Domi can walk without issue again after back surgery complications left him unable to
- Toronto is the only NHL team still sitting above the $104 million salary cap ceiling
- Read below for why a healthy Domi makes John Chayka’s cap math harder
Max Domi is walking again. That is great news for him and a genuine headache for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Domi has recovered well enough from spring back surgery that he no longer has trouble walking, a sharp turn from where he was in the days right after the operation. His hockey timeline is a different question. Toronto plans to evaluate him once training camp opens in September, and nobody has put a date on when he skates.
That progress collides with the one number general manager John Chayka cannot ignore.
The Leafs are the only team in the league still above the ceiling. CapWages has Toronto at $105.85 million against a $104 million upper limit, roughly $1.85 million too much, with all 23 roster spots filled and zero LTIR relief on the books.
A $3.75 million cap hit on long-term injured reserve was the clean exit. Park Domi there, take the relief, open the season legal. A player walking into the rink under his own power is much harder to justify sticking on that list.
| Team | Cap Space | Roster Signed |
|---|---|---|
| Toronto Maple Leafs | -$1,846,898 | 23 / 23 |
| Florida Panthers | $236,786 | 22 / 23 |
| Dallas Stars | $460,500 | 21 / 23 |
| Washington Capitals | $1,142,500 | 23 / 23 |
| Colorado Avalanche | $1,508,159 | 21 / 23 |
Adam Proteau of The Hockey News laid out the backup plan, and it costs Toronto a real player. Trading winger Dakota Joshua and his $3.25 million gets the Leafs compliant without touching Domi.
Waivers are the other lever. Nine notable additions came through the door in Toronto this summer, so there is fringe salary to shave if the top of the roster stays untouched.
Toronto Sun columnist Steve Simmons reported in May that something went badly wrong with the procedure, leaving Domi unable to walk afterward. He had picked the surgeon himself, which is common enough around the league, and the Leafs were not on the hook for that choice.
None of that showed up in his 2025-26 workload. Domi played 80 games while managing the injury that eventually sent him to the operating table, finishing with 12 goals and 24 assists in a bottom-six role.
Chayka has been squeezed against the ceiling since July, and opening night is the deadline. He gets his answer on Domi in about a month, and the size of the move he has to make hinges on that answer.
