NEWARK, N.J. — When the Chicago Blackhawks signed Max Domi and Andreas Athanasiou to one-year contracts in July, they knew one or both might draw some trade buzz down the line.
That buzz is here for Domi.
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Over the weekend, ESPN’s Kevin Weekes suggested the Edmonton Oilers could be interested buyers. The Oilers might be without forward Evander Kane until February or March after his left wrist was cut by a skate blade during a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Nov. 8.
Domi acknowledged hearing the rumors but downplayed them to the Tribune before Tuesday’s game against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center.
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“It’s all noise to me, man,” he said. “Honestly, I’m just trying to be present, wherever my two feet are right now, and help this team win as much as I possibly can and (leave) everything else to kind of take care of itself.
“But it’s a good thing that people are talking about it.”
Domi entered Tuesday’s game with nine goals and 10 assists in 24 games with the Hawks. He’s shooting at a career-high rate of 17.6%, and his 57.7% faceoff percentage also would be a career best.
And his $3 million deal expires after this season.
He said he doesn’t believe his trade value is higher than it was last season, when the Florida Panthers acquired him in March from the Columbus Blue Jackets in a three-team trade.
“When you have short-term deals like that (in Montreal, Columbus and Chicago), it’s what’s going to happen when you’re on an expiring deal,” Domi said. “The same thing last year when I was in Columbus, I knew I was going to get traded. I made it pretty clear that I wasn’t going to re-sign there. … In this situation, when you have a one-year contract, anything can happen. It’s kind of out of your hands.
“But all I’m focused on is trying to enjoy every second here (in Chicago) and playing as hard as I can for these guys to help you guys win as much as I can. And I love playing in Chicago. I absolutely love everything about the organization. My teammates have been awesome. Hopefully I’m here for a lot longer than one year.”
Domi said he has jelled quickly in new locker rooms before — that’s part of hockey culture, he said — but it has been different with the Hawks.
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He formed a fast bond with idol Patrick Kane and has played a lot of minutes on the top line with Kane and Athanasiou.
“This team is probably one of the closest, tight-knit teams in terms of — I mean, you can go to dinner with any guy on any given night,” Domi said. ”It’s not that it’s not like that everywhere else, but even more so now. It’s a special group because every guy here is really pulling for each other.
“And maybe it’s a bit of a younger group of guys that are coming in and they’re just really happy to be a part of the process. … And when you have a coach (in Luke Richardson) that makes it so fun to come to the rink every day, it just makes everyone happy.”
Domi acknowledged “some tough spells” — perhaps referencing a recent eight-game winless streak — but said “guys are pushing through because we really care about each other.”
Richardson said he can see Domi is enjoying his time with the Hawks.
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“He’s growing into a bigger leadership role as well at this time in his career, and he loves the city and he knows it’s a great opportunity,” Richardson said. “It’s a good match for both of us, for the team and for him at this point of his career.”
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Like Domi, Richardson won’t concern himself with the trade buzz.
“That’s the business side of things; I don’t really worry about guys going anywhere,” he said. “If they’re having fun and you treat them with respect, they’re always going to want to be there and have that opportunity with you.”
Domi returned to centering the top line with Kane on Tuesday as Jonathan Toews sat out with a non-COVID-19-related illness.
“He woke up feeling a bit flu-ish this morning,” Richardson said after the morning skate. “We want to keep him away from the other players and … getting rest.”
The Hawks called up Lukas Reichel from Rockford, and he took the ice 48 seconds into the game, manning left wing on the second line with Jason Dickinson and Taylor Raddysh.
Reichel has 10 goals and 13 assists in 19 games with the IceHogs this season.
