Toronto Maple Leafs: Trevor Moore expected to make NHL debut

With injuries starting to pile up for the Toronto Maple Leafs, they have recalled Trevor Moore from the Toronto Marlies as he makes his NHL debut.

There will be many Toronto Marlies fans excited to see Trevor Moore make his NHL debut for the Toronto Maple Leafs against the Detroit Red Wings. They will say this day was a long time coming as it could’ve come earlier this season.

Moore was called up twice in the month of November when William Nylander wasn’t signed and the Leafs needing another forward for the Western road trip. While he didn’t play, you got the sense that he shouldn’t get too comfortable with the Marlies as a couple of injuries could mean his immediate promotion.

Well with Zach Hyman nursing an ankle sprain and Tyler Ennis suffering a broken ankle in the Leafs win over the New York Rangers, the opportunity is here for Moore to leave his mark on the coaching staff.

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Part of the reason is his goal scoring ability as he leads the Marlies with 17 goals in 27 games this season but in a fourth line role, he has to show he can hold his own defensively as well. There are many players who could have been given consideration but Moore has been a standout player in the AHL.

Justin Holl will also play against the Detroit Red Wings after Martin Marincin played the past couple of games in Igor Ozhiganov. The Russian defenceman has been dealing with an illness and Mike Babcock has been giving him time to get healthy.

For Holl, the Leafs will be looking for him to make smart plays with the puck and have clean breakouts out of the defensive zone which was a big strength of his in the AHL. Unfortunately, he found himself in a similar situation that Josh Leivo did last season which is trying to earn Babcock’s trust to play him on a more consistent basis. He gets a chance to do that on Sunday night.

What do you think about Moore making his season debut? Are you glad to see Holl get back into the lineup? Let us know in the comments below.