Montreal Canadiens might not have Max Domi for the Stanley Cup Playoffs

Could Max Domi miss the postseason for the Montreal Canadiens?

The Montreal Canadiens weren’t expecting to be in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. After all, their chances at the start of the hiatus in mid-March were quickly trending downwards to 0%. However, the Canadiens have been granted a second chance thanks to the NHL’s 24-team postseason format.

However, the Habs might not have a full roster for it, even with most of their injured players coming back. Forward Max Domi has never played in a Stanley Cup Playoff game, which is kind of a shame because he’s the kind of player you’d think would step up in the postseason. But because he has Type 1 Diabetes, he’s considered to be at risk.

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Now, people with diabetes aren’t more likely to catch the novel coronavirus. That’s not the issue. The issue is people with diabetes are at risk to have much worse problems and symptoms if they contract the novel coronavirus. If the medical staff deems Domi can’t be provided a safe work environment, he could be out until he can be provided one.

This highlights an issue with the NHL returning. Can players and staff members be provided a safe work environment? Yes, 29 of the 31 teams approved the 24-team format. However, it wasn’t a full NHLPA vote, so there could be players with some concerns about safety.

Keep in mind the players, coaches, and team staff members are the ones assuming every single ounce of risk right now. If something goes wrong, the owners aren’t paying for it. The players, coaches, and staff members are. They’re the ones who are putting themselves at risk. So the least they can be provided is a safe work environment.

Without Domi, the Canadiens would be a lot worse off. They’re already facing a very tough series against a rested and (finally) healthy Pittsburgh Penguins team who would be getting star forward Jake Guentzel back. Even with Domi, the odds are clearly against the Canadiens. Without him, it would be very difficult for the Habs to shut down the likes of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

This isn’t an isolated issue either. New York Rangers rookie Kaapo Kakko also has Type 1 Diabetes and might miss the postseason as well. The same applies to Minnesota Wild forward Luke Kunin. He’s not currently in the NHL, but Cory Conacher, a forward in the Tampa Bay Lightning organization, has diabetes too.

It’s unfortunate Domi has been waiting his entire NHL career to play in the postseason and now might not get a chance to because of something he has no control over. But at the same time, his safety is what is most important. The onus falls on the league to ensure a safe work environment for not just Domi and those with diabetes, but for all the players, staff members, and coaches.