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All time greatest Maple Leaf


yave1964

GREATEST MAPLE LEAF POST EXPANSION  

8 members have voted

  1. 1. WHO IS THE GREATEST POST ORIGINAL SIX MAPLE LEAF EVER?

    • Darryl Sittler
      0
    • Mats Sundin
      3
    • Borje salming
      3
    • Davey Keon
      2
    • Felix Potvin
      0


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POSTmCp3wq1NppVGZI0wE9fssgw.jpg EXPANSION. I am not going to go back into the dark ages of time with the original six teams and as well, guys like Tim Horton of the Leafs and Gordie Howe of the Wings whose career with the team falls almost entirely on the pre expansion side will not be listed. Guys like Davey Keon who began pre expansion but played a goodly number of games on both sides of the arbitrary line will be included.

 

THE CANDIDATES:

 

DARRYL SITTLER: mIUcDOQJg0MYgBeUV9DtqCg.jpg Sittler is second all time among Leafs with 389 goals and in points with 916. He had that insane ten point night and was selected as a second team all star in 1977-78. Played in six all star games.

 

MATS SUNDIN: First in team history in goals (420) and points (987). He was a two time second team All Star, participated in the 8 Star games for the Leafs.  Steady as you go, his numbers were like punching a clock every year.

 

BORJE SALMING: Unbelievably Salming who was a brilliant defenseman is fourth all time in points among all leafs ever and third in games. First team All Star once and a second teamer five times, the Susan Lucci of Norris Candidates, he was nominated ten years in a row and never won.

 

FELIX POTVIN The best goalie post expansion in Leafs history by far. Third in almost every single relevant goalie stat in Leaf history behind the immortal Bower and Broda. Never quite lived up to the original hype which really makes him the perfect Leaf.

 

DAVEm7nULbbK6cmRRfRnlotxDXg.jpg KEON: a bridge player between the original six and the next generation who left in a contract dispute with Ballard and feelings never really were repaired. Keon was the greatest two way player of his generation and many argue of all time. 4th in games, 3rd in goals, and third in points prove he was not just a defensive specialist by far. Won the Calder, a couple of Bings and a couple of second team all Star appearances with the Leafs, also won the Smythe as postseason MVP the final year the Leafs won the cup.

 

I was blown away at the lack of real candidates, Dougie Gilmour and his part of a career, maybe Tiger Williams using a looser standard or Lanny Mac if you want to get sentimental and ignore stats, or Wendel Clark using an even looser standard. The last fifty years of Leafland have been pretty sad indeed with very few standouts.

 

WHO AM I? m1xZAy1HaSuyycazgL4JpVw.jpgThe latest attempt to stump you guys with a photo of a former player in all of his glory or lack thereof. I picked this one because even with the scrawl I cannot read the name.

 

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I went with Sundin because he was one of the elite in the NHL and on the world stage during the Olympics/World Cups for Sweden, and he played for Toronto a long time -- usually with no supporting cast either.

 

The shocking lack of candidates is striking (as you mentioned). :(

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I would be shocked if anyone votes for Potvin. I can't believe he leads the team in any goaltending category because he was so ordinary. I only recall him ever having one good year. Surely Joseph and Belfour were better. Meh, who knows?  :confused[1]:

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@BluPuk@WordsOfWisdom

 

Wow you guys are on it already!

 

I went with Salming because the guy could play defense like nobodies business and move the puck as well and put an end to the BS that Euro's wouldnt play rough, having over 100 PIMs 3 consecutive years. 10 years in a row receiving votes for the Norris and never winning, he should have won at least a few of them during that time.

 

 Davey Keon is a personal sentimental favorite of mine. I collect autographs and cards, I collect everything WHA (which is a hint about the unnamed Leaf above as well) and write to players asking for an autograph and an antidote, several times over the years Mr. Keon has written back, always by name and thanking me for writing him, he has written several very funny stories about the Minnesota Fighting Saints and the Whalers of the WHA but simply will not talk about Ballard or the Leafs which is understandable. If he had remained in Toronto for his entire career then this would be a non issue, it would have been Keon in a landslide with everyone else scrambling for second but Ballard ran him out. I agree Sittler deserves a special award for putting up with Our Pal Hal and the insanity and scorched earth taht followed him. Sundin, a damn solid player who put up remarkable numbers for a long time but I never felt he was a star.

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I would be shocked if anyone votes for Potvin. I can't believe he leads the team in any goaltending category because he was so ordinary. I only recall him ever having one good year. Surely Joseph and Belfour were better. Meh, who knows?  :confused[1]:

Joseph and Belfour and others had better years to be sure but the body of work, Felix the Cat easily outpaced most every Leaf goalie in every category by a wide margin.

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I voted for Sittler. What a class guy, going through the Ballard era and always taking the high road.

 

I never liked sundin.. :angry:

Calling Lidstrom overrated and putting the likes of Doughty and Niedermayer ahead of him, Baffled by the idea that I even considered Ovechkin to possibly become the greatest euro of all time, and then your dislike for Sundin while giving no reason..... I'm sensing a pattern here...
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@jagrmeister - read my profile..... I make no bones that I don't like Europeans playing in the NHL in general. If they are going to play in the NHL, they need to be subject to the same set of rules that apply to North Americans.

 

And Lidstrom and many other Euro's ARE and were overrated. The list is headed by those two...

 

BTW, nobody should call Mr. Keon "Davey" ....  :P

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First, I'd like to acknowledge my overall pick, Frank Mahovlich.

 

Now, as far as the expansion era goes, I've gotta go with Salming. You're exactly right about his defensive ability and what he meant for the introduction of European players to the game. There's a good reason he made my recent list of top defensemen to never win the Norris.

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@jagrmeister - read my profile..... I make no bones that I don't like Europeans playing in the NHL in general. If they are going to play in the NHL, they need to be subject to the same set of rules that apply to North Americans.

 

And Lidstrom and many other Euro's ARE and were overrated. The list is headed by those two...

 

BTW, nobody should call Mr. Keon "Davey" ....  :P

I have a hand written letter from Davey Keon with a tale of when he played for the Whalers where he referred to himself as 'Davey' in the third person so I will damn well do as I please. Also, if you feel that Euro's are lesser simply because they are Euro's I will have to call you a fool. And to think, things were going so well.......
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And as far as 'Davey' Keon goes, there are so many places on the net where he is referred to as such that he goes back and forth between Dave and Davey with equal aplomb. Either applies.

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I have a hand written letter from Davey Keon with a tale of when he played for the Whalers where he referred to himself as 'Davey' in the third person so I will damn well do as I please. Also, if you feel that Euro's are lesser simply because they are Euro's I will have to call you a fool. And to think, things were going so well.......

 

He's Davey to me from this day forward. I'm also doubling down on my vote for the Euro Salming. Lol

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A lot of folks consider Davey Keon the greatest Leaf of all time because of his defensive skill, I don't know how many stories I have read of his defensive skill away from the puck but they are legendary. I probably would have voted for him but most of his career was in the pre expansion era.

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@jagrmeister - read my profile..... I make no bones that I don't like Europeans playing in the NHL in general. If they are going to play in the NHL, they need to be subject to the same set of rules that apply to North Americans.

 

Would you not say that they are? :blink[1]:

 

The "European invasion" into the NHL happened a generation ago, and their elite players are as good as ours now. 

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  Ha...I thought the pic was Rocky Saganiuk. I went Dave Keon. No other Leaf put the team on his back in the playoffs when it mattered the most.

 

 Just my thoughts, I know Lanny McDonald did not have a long career in TO, but in his 5-6 years he hit 40+ 3 or 4 times, not sure of the exact number. He makes the list ahead of Potvin for me anyways.

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  Ha...I thought the pic was Rocky Saganiuk. I went Dave Keon. No other Leaf put the team on his back in the playoffs when it mattered the most.

 

 Just my thoughts, I know Lanny McDonald did not have a long career in TO, but in his 5-6 years he hit 40+ 3 or 4 times, not sure of the exact number. He makes the list ahead of Potvin for me anyways.

I nearly listed mac ahead of Felix the Cat but chose to keep with having a goalie on the list. toronto simply has very little to offer, career wise, in net.

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I nearly listed mac ahead of Felix the Cat but chose to keep with having a goalie on the list. toronto simply has very little to offer, career wise, in net.

 

Yeah, you pretty much have to go back to the original six era with Bower or Broda. The Leafs really don't have a lot to offer period after 1967 compared to several other teams.

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I'm from a more recent generation of hockey fans and I only got to see Sundin play and I would easily pick him. He is the all time Leafs leader in goals, assists and points and is tied for 2nd all time in points per game at 1.01. Without a doubt the greatest forward to ever come out of Sweden, you also have to love him for the fact that he still calls Toronto his second home and still donates to charities all over Toronto including sick kids. sundin.jpg

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I'm from a more recent generation of hockey fans and I only got to see Sundin play and I would easily pick him. He is the all time Leafs leader in goals, assists and points and is tied for 2nd all time in points per game at 1.01. Without a doubt the greatest forward to ever come out of Sweden, you also have to love him for the fact that he still calls Toronto his second home and still donates to charities all over Toronto including sick kids. sundin.jpg

I wouldn't go that far, Daniel Alfredsson and Henrik Zetterberg are much better two way forwards, Kent Nilsson and Daniel/Henrik Sedin are significantly better offensive producers, and we cant have already forgotten Peter Forsberg?

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I wouldn't go that far, Daniel Alfredsson and Henrik Zetterberg are much better two way forwards, Kent Nilsson and Daniel/Henrik Sedin are significantly better offensive producers, and we cant have already forgotten Peter Forsberg?

But how? based on points per game only? sure using that one individual stat Nilsson(1.241) and Forsberg(1.250) managed more points per game but nothing really worth arguing considering Sundin beats all other Swedes in goal production, and pretty much ever other existing stat... Sundin is even 7th all time in NHL history in game winning goals with 96. The next Swede Alfredsson is 38th all time with 73. Sundin is 3rd all time points per game among Swedes at 1.002. Where do the Sedins fit into this? there is no way they are or will be remembered as being better than Mats.

 

Sundin is the highest point producer in Swedish hockey history and clocks in at 27th all time in NHL history with 1,349 points just behind Guy Lafleur and just ahead of Dave Andreychuk. In terms of goals no Swede has scored more than him and he clocks in at the 22nd most prolific goal scorer in NHL history…the next most prolific offensive producer was Alfredsson and he clocks in at 51st all time points with 1,157 and a significantly lower 62nd most prolific goal scorer in NHL history.

 

In terms of the sheer numbers, Mats Sundin was essentially Sweden's Wayne Gretzky. If he played his career with the Red Wings he would have won numerous cups and individual awards too, in Toronto he never had an amazing supporting cast but he still managed to carry them through some exciting playoff rounds. 

 

There is a reason he was named the Swedish captain in 2006 when there were other guys on that team like Lidstrom, Alfredsson, Sedins, Forsberg, Zetterberg etc

 

sundin_gold.jpg

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I'm from a more recent generation of hockey fans and I only got to see Sundin play and I would easily pick him. He is the all time Leafs leader in goals, assists and points and is tied for 2nd all time in points per game at 1.01. Without a doubt the greatest forward to ever come out of Sweden, you also have to love him for the fact that he still calls Toronto his second home and still donates to charities all over Toronto including sick kids. sundin.jpg

 

Nice post, it was enough to get my vote!

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