Leafs rookie looks poised to steal spot from veteran forward

Back in March, the Toronto Maple Leafs announced the signing of KHL standout Miro Aaltonen to an entry-level contract. The young forward was a former 6th round pick by the Anaheim Ducks (2013, 177th overall). He spent the following 4 years overseas, split between the SM-liiga and the KHL.

The 24-year-old didn’t seem to impress the organization that drafted him, but Leafs’ professional scouts clearly saw something in him, and rightfully so, because now he appears poised to take over the 4th line center role.

His main competition for the role is NHL veteran Dominic Moore, who has suited up for Toronto under a previous regime, as well as several Stanley Cup contenting teams. He played a vital role for teams such as the Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens, and New York Rangers, as well as for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Moore is known for his faceoff and penalty killing prowess, but in a league where youth, speed, and offensive qualities are king, he’s having trouble cementing his spot in the main lineup.

Toronto is inching ever closer to a complete roster in training camp, and Moore is on the outside looking in, with Aaltonen centering a line with Matt Martin and Connor Brown flanking him on the wings. Moore is currently saddled with Josh Leivo and Eric Fehr, indicating that he is unlikely at this point to be a main fixture in the lineup.

In the modern NHL, statistics are indicating that winning a faceoff isn’t as important as we’ve made it out to be. Toronto is a team that has proven to have a strong interest in analytics and slotting Aaltonen over Moore is further evidence of that. One of Aaltonen’s weak points is his skills at the faceoff dot, but his overall game clearly mitigates that deficiency.

It’s getting harder and harder to be over 35 in today’s NHL.