Feisty, hard-nosed, and determined.

Some of the words that come to mind when you see Leo Komarov’s name on the roster. He has made a living by being in your face and making your next shift more miserable than the one before. This season he has jumped from the Russian who wears his visor, to a force on a rebuilding team. He is a defensive minded player and a perfect fit within the Mike Babcock way of coaching. 

Leo Komarov, 28, has seen an uptick in ice time this season under the new bench boss. In his first season with the Toronto Maple Leafs during 2012-13, his ice time was 13:56 a game. Now this year he’s clocking in 16:57 on average. He’s being used in all situations and provides energy to pull his team through sluggish points.

Komarov isn’t going to out skate you, deke you out or blow a whistling wrist shot by your goalie. But he is one of the most elusive forwards in the game. Enough credit isn’t garnered for his ability to get open. He’s the first one to the front of the net for a reason. He’ll power through anyone to get there and get the loose puck. The amount of highlight plays involving his name is scarce but he gets the hard working goals. The goals that rally a team and bring you back into a game.

The sixth round draft pick of the Maple Leafs in the 2006 entry draft didn’t make his debut until the 2012-13 season when he played 42 games, collecting only nine points before fleeing to Russia for a year. Coming back for the 2013-14 season, he played in 62 games while picking up 26 points with an NHL career-high eight goals. This season in just 32 games, he’s picked up 15 goals. Komarov is on a 0.75 point per game pace which would land him in the 60 point range. He’s scored more goals than Phil Kessel, Corey Perry and Rick Nash. He’s part of a select few who lead their respective team in goals and hits. Joining the short list of Jamie Benn with the Dallas Stars and Justin Faulk with the Carolina Hurricanes. His hit totals are in around the 150 mark already, just 100 less than his previous high set last season.

Mike Babcock has found a way to bring out the most in Komarov, using his physical skill and his nose for the net to spark his team and get those important goals. He’s an instigator of the highest standard. He plays with an edge and gets under your skin, and then beats you to every loose puck. He doesn’t lose those 50/50 battles and gets to the front of the net before anyone else. Being given 58.7 percent of his starts in the offensive zone this season, further proves that he is utilized to bring offense and ignite the team. He’s hard on the fore-check and is exactly the kind of player Babcock loves.

Tomas Holstrom was another player in that mold. Found at the front of the net and was always in the right spot. Komarov, like Holmstrom, scores a lot from either the slot, or within five feet of the crease. His totals in goals created per game has over doubled since last season from 0.15 to 0.32 per game this season. His shooting percentage is at 23.4 percent, which is good for fourth in the league.

On a rebuilding team and a team strapped with adversity, a culture change was needed. Hard working, bring their lunch box to work kind of guys like Komarov are assets and vital in changing that culture. His effect on the team is more than just stats, but if you can get a guy like him putting points up like he is doing it’s only going to benefit your team. Those guys who are leading by example. The ones showing that hard work pays off, and that you don’t need to be Patrick Kane to score goals in this league, are going to have a positive impact on your team and help it grow.

His effort is pungent, his grit is textile, and his play is fierce.