Leo Komarov was like Miro Aaltonen once, an obscure sixth-round pick with Finnish roots who travelled to North America to try and play for the Maple Leafs.



Komarov remembers it all as a blur.



“Everything is new,” the 30-year-old recalled. “You come in and you’ve watched NHL on the TV, watched all the players and you’re a little bit confused in the beginning. But he looks good out there, he just needs to keep going.”



Aaltonen is trying to overcome all that newness and unfamiliarity in an unlikely bid to swipe the Leafs’ fourth line centre spot away from Dominic Moore.



Like Komarov, who waited seven years from the time of his draft before joining the Leafs, Aaltonen came here at his own speed, climbing the ladder overseas in Finland and Russia before finally making the jump. The 24-year-old was actually drafted by Anaheim four years ago — 177th overall (Komarov went 180th) — but the Ducks never...