"I used to be in there (Quinn's office) all the time, I barrelled down his door to talk about a lot of things, I was in there a lot, but it's something I couldn't get back this year," Domi said as the Leafs prepared to meet the Penguins in their final game of the season last night.

Domi, as well as several other Leafs veterans, were introspective on the eve of the club's final game. In the wake of the team's failure to make the playoffs, Domi and his teammates are facing nervous times over the next two months as management reviews the roster and ushers in a new and expectedly younger look for 2006-07.

"All the geniuses in the media have their opinions who will be here next year and who won't ... I've kept a low key, I know who I am and my teammates know who I am," said Domi, who stressed that Toronto is the only team he'll play for next season.

Domi is signed through next season, as is Jeff O'Neill, who was scratched from the final game last night and sent immediately to the team's medical staff to evaluate an injured shoulder that plagued him all season long.

Surgery is a likely option, but the team will take MRI images before making a final decision.

Other Leafs veterans like Eric Lindros, Ed Belfour, Aki Berg, Alex Khavanov, Clarke Wilm and Luke Richardson are all expected to be either bought out or not renewed.

A report this week claimed Lindros has been invited back next season, but at roughly half the $1.55 million (U.S.) he earned this season.

There is also a question mark with Nik Antropov, who also missed last night's game with a knee injury, and underwent a successful arthroscopic procedure, the third knee surgery of his career.

Antropov's contract runs out this season, and he has yet to be signed for 2006-07. A talented and big centre, Antropov has never realized his potential through six seasons in Toronto.

Quinn recently praised Antropov for making career strides this season. It's expected Antropov will be back, likely as a second or third line centre.

Meanwhile, Domi regretted the demise of his personal meetings with Quinn, and was puzzled why the fall off seemed to happen around the time his ice time waned as well.

"I started the season on a line with Eric Lindros and for some reason I got onto the fourth line and never got off it," Domi said.

"We went with a youth movement here and youth movements are great, but sometimes they don't work out the way you want them to. We searched for ourselves for a long time and when we found ourselves the other teams weren't losing. We're all to blame, including me, and I think (fans) have to be patient.

"I hate saying patient because our fans have been patient long enough. But things are going to change around here, so we'll see what happens."

Quinn said there was a decline in the number of meetings he had with Domi this season, but that he still maintained an open door policy.

"I'm sure there's times when you're thinking about yourself, and we all do ... what we did and should have done, and I'm sure that's the feeling Tie has now," Quinn said.

"It may be that we haven't had that many discussions. But Tie's usually the initiator."