Toronto Maple Leafs: Gimme Some (Dominic) Moore!

It's easy to see why Dominic Moore is with his fourth club since making his NHL debut in 2003. 

After all, in 188 career NHL games Moore has tallied 18 goals and added 23 assists for a grand total of 41 points, so it's plain to see his knack for scoring isn't why he is in the league. 

Moore is a small guy, listed ats a generous 6 feet. The scouting report on Moore the day he was drafted by the New York Rangers said that he would have to fight to keep a job at the NHL level.

And fight he did.

I can say to you with complete honesty that I hadn't seen Moore play a whole lot before he was claimed by the Toronto Maple Leafs, but after just three games, it isn't hard to discover what the Thornhill, Ontario native's niche is. 

Moore knows the ice time won't come easy. He doesn't expect it to. He battles hard on every shift. 

A deeper look into the career of Dominic Moore reveals a number of accolades. Like seemingly more and more are today, Moore chose the academics route, playing for Harvard, not exactly known for its illustrious hockey program.

In 1999-2000 Dominic Moore joined his brothers Steve (yes, THAT Steve Moore) and Mark as they became the only brother trio to play at Harvard the same time. Moore is eleventh all time in points scored for the Crimson. 

Moore was drafted by the Rangers, then shipped to the Penguins. From there he went back to the Rangers, where he, during the lockout, played with their farm affiliate Hartford. He ended up going back to the Penguins in the summer of 2006, where he played for less than a year, before being involved in a deadline deal that sent him to Minnesota. 

Of course, you know the story from there. With Mikko Koivu coming back from injury, the Wild had to put a young player on waivers to make room for his return. 

Moore was that guy, and was almost immediately claimed by Toronto.

He's no savior. He's not going to lead us to the promised land. 

But no one expects him to.

What is expected of him is to play anywhere from five to ten minutes a night, forecheck hard, backcheck when necessary, and use his speed to create chances. 

Moore and Chad Kilger form a speedy, hard-hitting duo, which has helped the Leafs establish a strong presence in the offensive zone, and creates a spark off the bench when the team needs a lift. 

They don't always score goals, and sometimes they don't even get a scoring chance, but so far, in his brief career with the Toronto Maple Leafs, fans have known when Dominic Moore has been on the ice.

He won't put up monster points, but he is a guy who fans are growing to appreciate for his work ethic and passion.

Moore is in the final year of his current contract, which sees him paid $700,000 and with so much up in the air over the management situation in Toronto, it remains to be seen if the new regime will see a fit for him in the plans of the team. 

The scouting report said that Moore would have to fight to keep a job in the NHL, and so far with his new club, the Leafs, he has played every shift like it is his last.