Toronto Maple Leafs: 1st Rounders Through the Years

Apr 19, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews (34) looks for a pass against the Washington Capitals in game four of the first round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Air Canada Centre. Washington defeated Toronto 5-4. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 19, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews (34) looks for a pass against the Washington Capitals in game four of the first round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Air Canada Centre. Washington defeated Toronto 5-4. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – JANUARY 14: Tyler Kennedy #48 of the Pittsburgh Penguins Alumni skates against Luke Richardson #22 of the Philadelphia Flyers Alumni on January 14, 2017 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – JANUARY 14: Tyler Kennedy #48 of the Pittsburgh Penguins Alumni skates against Luke Richardson #22 of the Philadelphia Flyers Alumni on January 14, 2017 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images)

Luke Richardson

Going through this list with hindsight really shows a path the Leafs could have taken to greatness.  To be honest, it’s somewhat depressing!

But hey, I said straight off that this wasn’t going to be pretty!

Imagine the Leafs had of taken Leetch instead of Damphouse….they almost certainly then wouldn’t have taken a defenseman in 1987.

And there is an apocryphal story – famous, and one assumes true  –  that the Leafs GM at the time, Gary McNamara,  sided with his head coach, John Brophy, over his head scout, Floyd Smith and selected Luke Richardson over Joe Sakic.

Now, it’s one thing to look at a list 30 years later and say “damn, if only we picked that guy,”  but to know they actually argued about it…..and ended up picking the wrong guy is a punch to the gut.

Joe Sakic is a hall-of-fame player.  He’d have likely been the best player in modern Toronto Maple Leafs history.

Instead they picked average defensive defenseman Luke Richardson at seventh overall.

Imagine a team built around Sakic, Clark and Leetch?  Damn!

Still, at the time, Clark, Damphouse and Richardson was a pretty fine combo of teenagers to build around.

It just never really worked out.