Top 5 Hall of Famers You Forget Played for the Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have been known to acquire players a little too-late in their prime.
In order for the Toronto Maple Leafs to be successful, they’re going to need to find veteran players who will take bargain contracts.
Sparked by the off-season actions of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, there have been many players to join the Leafs a little too late.
Although Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski may have something left in the tank, it’ll be interesting to see how that plays out. It’s quite possible the Buccaneers will be going through the same routine the Leafs have been through so many times.
In 20 years it’s quite possible that people will forget all about Gronk and Brady’s time in Tampa Bay and only remember them as New England Patriots.
It’s always exciting to add a player who has mystique to their name. However, it’s easy to get caught up in how that player used to perform, compared to how he’s going to play on your team.
In recent years, Jason Spezza and Patrick Marleau are two players that have Hall-of-Fame potential that showed up to the Leafs and met adjusted expectations, if not their career peaks.
While Marleau and Spezza are just the most recent examples, there have been plenty of amazing players that have joined the Leafs well beyond their primes.
Here are the top five Hall-of-Fame worthy players you forgot played for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
#1. Phil Housley
It may be easy to forget that Phil Housley once played for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
If you blinked during the 2002-03 season, you probably missed Housley as he only played one career regular season game in Toronto.
Despite only participating in one regular season game and three playoff games in Toronto, he played 1495 career games and had a magnificent career. Housley put up numbers that forwards would be jealous of and is still the highest scoring American-born defenseman in NHL history with 1232 career points.
Although it took much longer than it should have, Housley was finally inducted into the Hockey Hall-of-Fame in 2015.
I wonder if he talked about that one game he played with the Leafs during his induction speech….
TORONTO – MARCH 16: Brian Leetch #2 of the Toronto Maple Leafs. (Photo By Dave Sandford/Getty Images)
#2. Brian Leetch
In comparison to Housley’s career in Toronto, it felt like Leetch played a life-time for the Leafs.
However, Leetch only played in 15 regular season games, and 13 playoff games during his short-stint in 2003-04.
Leetch will always be remembered as a New York Ranger, so it’s easy to forget he ever played in Toronto.
Leetch won a Calder Trophy, two Norris Trophies, one Stanley Cup and a Conn Smythe Trophy during his time with the Rangers, so it’s safe to say he’ll never have to buy a drink in New York ever again.
Similar to Housley, Leetch will go down as one of the greatest American-born defenseman to ever play in the NHL.
#3. Tom Barrasso
He’s not in the Hockey Hall-of-Fame yet, but you can make an easy case that deserves to be.
However, Barrasso has been known to be a jerk to the media so many people think that’s the reason why he hasn’t been inducted.
Despite his personality, his play is Hall-of-Fame worthy and his trophy case speaks for that: Two Stanley Cups, one Calder Trophy and one Vezina Trophy.
He finished with a career 3.24 GAA and 0.892 SV %, which you may think is high, but if you’re comparing goaltenders in his Era currently in the Hall-of-Fame, Grant Fuhr had a career 3.38 GAA and 0.887 SV %.
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that Barrasso played a whopping four games with Toronto during the 2001-02 season, so his time wasn’t that memorable.
#4. Ron Francis
As a two-time Stanley Cup champion in Pittsburgh and King Clancy Memorial Trophy and Lady Byng Trophy winner in Carolina, it may be easy to forget Francis as a Leaf.
If you were asked a trivia question of “What team did Ron Francis play his last career game with?”, Toronto is probably not the first place you’d pick.
However, after a mid-season trade on March 9, 2004, Francis played his final 12 regular season games in Toronto, finishing his career as a Maple Leaf.
A first-ballot Hall-of-Famer, Francis finished with 1798 career points, which is fifth in NHL history.
Even if Leaf fans forget, they should be proud that Francis scored 10 of those 1798 as a Maple Leaf.
#5. Eric Lindros
In comparison to the rest of the list, Lindros had the longest career in Toronto.
When you think of the former Hart Trophy winner, you think of his time with the Philadelphia Flyers where he was the most dominant player in the NHL.
Lindros was a power-forward who used his 6-foot-4, 230 pound frame to enforce his opponents, but could score at-will.
Lindros had seven seasons with 30-plus goals, including a career high 47 in the 1995-1996 season.
Although injuries shortened his career, Lindros was one of the most talented and unique players to ever play in the NHL.
Unfortunately, the once dominant superstar was a shadow of what he used to be by the time the Toronto Maple Leafs acquired him.
Once dominating the NHL with reckless physical abandon, Lindros had had too many head injuries to play like he did in his early career, and his time with the Leafs was uneventful.
Next. Top 5 Bargain UFA's Leafs Should Sign. dark
With so much career success early in Philadelphia, it’s easy to overlook his time in Toronto.