Max Domi’s recovery has become an early concern for Maple Leafs head coach Jim Hiller after complications from back surgery left the Toronto forward unable to walk in the days following the procedure.
Domi underwent the operation in the spring after playing through a nagging injury throughout Toronto’s 2025-26 season. The expectation at the time was that surgery would finally allow him to get healthy and put the issue behind him. Instead, according to Steve Simmons, complications followed the operation, leaving Domi unable to walk afterward. Exact details of what went wrong have not been made public.
There has been encouraging progress since those difficult early days. Domi can now walk without issue. Yet his recovery continues, and his availability for the start of the 2026-27 season remains uncertain. The forward appeared in 80 games last season, scoring 12 goals and adding 24 assists while managing that heavy workload despite the injury that ultimately required surgery.
Toronto is expected to receive a clearer assessment once training camp begins. Until Domi receives medical clearance, there is no firm timeline for his return to hockey activities.
For the Leafs, this can no longer be treated as a standard offseason rehab. The progression back toward skating and contact will have to come in carefully managed stages. Toronto’s restructured sports performance department now faces one of its first major assignments. Once Domi is cleared to advance, the focus will shift toward rebuilding strength, movement, and hockey conditioning without rushing the process.
Hiller does have more flexibility than he might have enjoyed in previous seasons. Toronto added forward depth this summer, giving the coaching staff options if Domi is not ready for opening night. That depth does not make his potential absence insignificant. Domi can move around the bottom six, provide secondary offense, and give the Leafs another experienced option when injuries or lineup changes arise.
The larger concern is no longer the original back issue alone. Being unable to walk after surgery turns his recovery into something that demands patience rather than an aggressive target date. There is still no indication that Domi will miss the entire season. Training camp should provide the next meaningful checkpoint and reveal how far he has progressed since the frightening period immediately after the operation.
For Toronto, the priority is straightforward: get Domi healthy enough that his eventual return lasts. After an offseason procedure produced an unexpected setback, forcing him back into the lineup before his body is ready would solve nothing.