The Toronto Maple Leafs are one of the most iconic teams in the NHL. They have a long and storied history, with many great players have donned the blue and white jersey that is famous all over the world because of the franchise’s success over the years.
In this blog post, we will take a look at the top 10 players to have been on the Leafs’ roster, as well as the best player in team history.
Who are the best players ever appearing for the Toronto Maple Leafs?
Content Summery
Naturally, there have been a number of incredibly talented players to have played for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the past, with some of the names that we have identified synonymously with the franchise because of what they had managed to achieve while turning out for them on the ice in the NHL. Let’s take a look at 10 of the very best:
- Doug Gilmour
- Mats Sundin
- Darryl Sittler
- Johnny Bower
- Borje Salming
- Wendel Clark
- Tim Horton
- Dave Keon
- Frank Mahovlich
- Turk Broda
Doug Gilmour
The first player on our list is none other than the great Doug Gilmour. Gilmour was a fan favorite during his time with the Leafs and was one of the best players in team history. Gilmour was a key member of the Leafs’ teams that went to the Conference Finals in 1993 and 1994 and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2011, thus making him one of the most popular players in the franchise history.
Just a few buds having a smashing time @_Smashfest 🏓#NHLAlumni | #Smashfest
(📸: @douggilmour) pic.twitter.com/N1mZdunSfH— NHL Alumni (@NHLAlumni) July 21, 2022
Mats Sundin
Next up is Mats Sundin, who is widely considered to be one of the best players in Maple Leafs’ history. Sundin spent 13 seasons with the team and is their all-time leader in goals scored, having scored 420. He is also the record points leader, too, as he had managed to amass 987 during his tenure with the organization. He was a key member of the Leafs’ teams that went to the Conference Finals in 1999 and 2000 and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2012.
Darryl Sittler
Third on our list is Darryl Sittler, another player considered to be one of the best in Maple Leafs’ history. Sittler spent 11 seasons with the team and is second in franchise history in goals scored with 329. He was a key member of the Leafs’ teams that went to the Conference Finals in 1976 and 1977, and his number 27 (which was also worn by Frank Mahovlich) has been retired by the team as part of the 100th season celebrations that were held by the team on October 15, 2016.
Who could be the next Toronto Maple Leafs great?
While there are many fans that want to be able to relive the glory days that the Toronto Maple Leafs were able to have in the past with many of the stars mentioned above, there are some that will be hoping that a few of the current players on the roster can bring some fortune back to the Ontario outfit.
Indeed, with sports betting being legal in Ontario and being made even attractive to punters in the province due to the amendments to have been made, recent NHL seasons have not looked as good a time as any other to place a wager.
Sports Betting for Ontario Fans has managed to surge in popularity because of the ability to be able to back their favorite team, with many continuing to show their support for the iconic franchise in a variety of different ways, including placing bets on them being able to reach the Stanley Cup final and finally end the longest active drought in the NHL.
However, this is something that clearly has not paid dividends, as the team continues to struggle once they reach the playoffs. But, is there a player that could become the newest great to wear the famous blue and white jersey?
Is Auston Matthews the next great?
Fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs will already know just how good Auston Matthews is; however, the young star continues to impress whenever he is on the ice, firmly solidifying his status as a guaranteed legend of the franchise in the future and a certified Hall of Famer.
This season was yet another impressive year for the 24-year-old, as he managed to create a number of new records. Matthews became the first Leafs’ player in history to score 60 goals in a season, becoming just the third player in NHL history post-lockout to achieve this feat. He also reached 100 points in a single season for the first time in his career earlier in the season, too! Moreover, should he stay with the franchise, it would not be a surprise if he were to set new records, including breaking the all-time most goals scored figure; he currently has 259; therefore, while he still has some way to go, many will feel that it is still achievable.
Just over a couple months until we get to see Auston Matthews score some goals again🤴 #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/niSV9X7OCG
— Jen (@tavmarnythews) July 25, 2022
To cap off an excellent year, he was also named the Hart Memorial Trophy and the Ted Lindsay Award winner!
Naturally, there is a lot of excitement regarding what Matthews can do in the future, with many hoping he can help usher in a new golden era for the Toronto Maple Leafs and end the incredibly long drought that has been experienced regarding the Stanley Cup.
Final Thoughts
These are just some of the great players that have worn a Maple Leafs’ jersey, and there are many more that could have been included on this list. These players have all made a significant impact on the franchise and will be remembered as some of the best to ever play for the team.
Additionally, there is no doubt that we can call on Matthews to be the next iconic player to play for one of the NHL’s and the world’s most famous ice hockey teams; especially is able to continue to produce the kind of numbers that he has been able to provide since entering the league.