Best Leaf of all Time

[therealkoho]

Jim Dorey.

Claire Alexander is close 2nd.


...

Should be best you have seen play otherwise just go online (we're online...) and search out the previously published lists.

They don't vary much.

Wow "The Milkman" he'd be right for the Leafs of today!

 

[ULF_55]

Three of the biggest goals (gwg in games 6, 7, and 8)?

Trivia question for old-timers: who won the faceoff that led to the last goal in the '67 Cup final?

Game 8

 

[notDatsyuk]

Game 8

The biggest, but all three were huge.

I knew the answer to your question - how about mine?

 

[therealkoho]

Most of us aren’t old enough to have watched the Leafs teams that had success. You’d have to think Frank Mahovolich would be up there though, four cups, perennial all-star

Mahovlich had a stellar career after leaving, but while with the Leafs with the exception of 62/63 he was a pretty ordinary guy. It's what Punch wanted and it's what Punch got. It's a shame but with an autocrat like Imlach it's his way or the highway.

 

[ITM]

Curtis Joseph and Ed Belfour certainly felt savior-like at times, albeit briefly. Doug Gilmour goes without saying. Wendel Clark, sure. Borje was my Dad's favorite so naturally, he was mine and I think there's an argument to be made.

For me, Darryl Sittler and Mats Sundin have more in common than being captains and being captains for a long time. They seemed to carry the team in a complete way, with less than the type of support that they should have had.

 

[therealkoho]

Three of the biggest goals (gwg in games 6, 7, and 8)?

Trivia question for old-timers: who won the faceoff that led to the last goal in the '67 Cup final?

Allan Stanley won that face off, the puck bounced to Red Kelly who then got it over to Pully who hit Armstrong just on our side of the redline to keep the play onside, two or 3 steps later Army slid the puck into the empty Montreal net.

 

[Enga Olly]

Best? No way anyone can answer that correctly the team had been around for over a hundred years.

My Leaf memories only go back to 1970 so my faves will be my "best"

My absolute favourites:
Sittler
Salming
Clark

Honourable mentions
Sundin
Gilmour

IF mitch and Auston take us to the promised land, they definitely make the list. IF they give us a handful of deep runs then they likely make the list, but if they end up with just 1st and second round exits, then they are relegated to some weird 2nd teir unfulfilled potential list.

For those too young to have seen Salming or at least Salming in the first few years, he was special, really stood apart from other d-menwe will likely never see such an exceptional Leaf ever again. Such a shame he was saddled with the worst owner in the world. Of course loyal and honourable man that Salming was, he never spoke out against that pos.

 

[notDatsyuk]

Allan Stanley won that face off, the puck bounced to Red Kelly who then got it over to Pully who hit Armstrong just on our side of the redline to keep the play onside, two or 3 steps later Army slid the puck into the empty Montreal net.

He took a surprising number of faceoffs in our end. He could win the draw, then effectively tie up their centre while freeing ours.

 

[ULF_55]

Three of the biggest goals (gwg in games 6, 7, and 8)?

Trivia question for old-timers: who won the faceoff that led to the last goal in the '67 Cup final?

I want to say Bob, but I'm horrible at trivia.

And lots of wear and tear on the hard drive.

 

[ACC1224]

Curtis Joseph and Ed Belfour certainly felt savior-like at times, albeit briefly. Doug Gilmour goes without saying. Wendel Clark, sure. Borje was my Dad's favorite so naturally, he was mine and I think there's an argument to be made.

For me, Darryl Sittler and Mats Sundin have more in common than being captains and being captains for a long time. They seemed to carry the team in a complete way, with less than the type of support that they should have had.

You can include Ricky Vaive in that group. Amazing what he did on such awful teams.

 

[ITM]

You can include Ricky Vaive in that group. Amazing what he did on such awful teams.

Sure can. And interesting to see management's apparent logic at work from Sittler to Vaive to Clark. New dog looks good, get rid of the old dog.

I'd have to dig - because I can't remember to a certitude offhand - as to what the reasons were given in each scenario. But I can't help but wonder, in each instance, while having one and the other, why the better idea wasn't to maximize depth and offset with lesser pieces.

"The Toronto Way"?

 

[Leafs87]

I see a lot of people are trying to dodge Mats, but it’s definitely him right now. Matthews very soon.

 

[egd27]

Wendall Clark

not even in the conversation

 

[Gary Nylund]

IF mitch and Auston take us to the promised land, they definitely make the list. IF they give us a handful of deep runs then they likely make the list, but if they end up with just 1st and second round exits, then they are relegated to some weird 2nd teir unfulfilled potential list.

This should be compulsory reading for many people around here, especially the small minority who think Marner's already some sort of legend.

 

[Enga Olly]

You can include Ricky Vaive in that group. Amazing what he did on such awful teams.

Vaive was great and really took a lot of shit from Ballard, but dude had a hard time staying on his feet. Still 3 consecutive 50 goal years - can't argue with that.

 

[BraveCanadian]

I see a lot of people are trying to dodge Mats, but it’s definitely him right now. Matthews very soon.

That’s just, like, your opinion, man.

 

[ACC1224]

Vaive was great and really took a lot of shit from Ballard, but dude had a hard time staying on his feet. Still 3 consecutive 50 goal years - can't argue with that.

.....and tough as nails and a beauty on the golf course lol.

 

[Leafs87]

That’s just, like, your opinion, man.

He had a very poor supporting cast for the majority of his tenure as a Leaf. Ended up all time point leader with less games player than multiple players mentioned here. I get he didn’t win a cup, but a 67 cup in a league with less teams and overall talent is far easier to win than a cup during his era

 

[therealkoho]

Hmmm best Leaf of all time huh? I won't include goaltenders.

My top 10 are;
10) Bob Pulford-tireless worker, integral player for the 60's cup teams

9) Army- tough competitor, great defensive player, kept those cup teams in line, captain for 12 years.

8) Mahovlich- Calder trophy, perennial all star, top 10 scorer league wide early 60s, great skater. Imlach wanted him to be a tougher player, always on him about stupid stuff, his career in Toronto started to fizzle out in 65, Imlach dumped him in 67

7) Gilmour-he was a killer for sure, top 5 player league wide

6) Sundin-lots of grit, great shot, smooth skater one of the best and most consistent offensive players to ever wear a maple leaf

5) Horton-refrigerator on skates ultra competitor, fearless, even though he could barely see w/o his glasses wouldn't wear them on the ice and was still one of leagues best passers and great defenders. Like Tanev Horton was a shot blocking machine

4) Sittler-never back down, had every tool, just couldn't get the team over the top

3) Salming- uber talented, 7 top 5 Norris finishes, was as fearless as Tim Horton 1st NHL fight was Dave Schultz, 6 consecutive allstar 1st or 2nd team, Leaf leader Dman scoring all time aa tough as nails

2) Keon- like Mitch he was a Swiss army knife, 1st PP, 1st Pk 31SHG career, a Calder, Conn Smythe, a couple Lady Byngs, 8 times an allstar, played defense when needed a blazing fast skater, only Cournoyer may have been faster, 1000+ games as a Leaf, a top 5 player in the league in his time

1) Matthews/Marner

Everybody loves goal scoring, it's how you win games after all, but someone has to get the puck there and few are better than Marner at doing that, hes a premier PP and PK guy top 5 defensive player to go along with his 90+ points annually

A goal scoring machine, Rockets galore, a Hart and a top 5 offensive player in the league. Marner can't score like this guy, Matthews can't defend like Marner.

 

[Moridin]

Keon, Salming or Sundin.

I got a soft spot for Clark, but he is not at that level.

Matthews and Marner has the chance to be no1

 

[Leafsfan74]

Probably Dave Keon. The one player you might build any team around.

 

[Ianturnedbull]

Wendall Clark

Are you playing a game of chess with the other users here? Did you spell his name wrong on purpose?

 

[barilko05]

I submit my vote for...Red Kelly. Star player with Detroit (4 cups, Norris, Hart runner-up) before he came here. Then, became a star at ANOTHER position with the Leafs, and won 4 more cups. Then became a much loved...although ultimately not as impactful as he was a player...coach. Pyramid Power, yo!

 

[Macallan18]

Clearly Matthews.
But I do have a soft spot for Davie Keon.
Sittler too.

Are you playing a game of chess with the other users here? Did you spell his name wrong on purpose?

give him a break, probably dyslexic

 

[Kiwi]

I've got a ton of time for Keon
He's the best I've seen in a Leafs jersey

One guy I always liked but we never got to see his best was Berard, that injury derailed a kid with a ton of natural talent