Everything Wrong with TSN’s All-Time Toronto Maple Leafs Team
Players Missing from the Toronto Maple Leafs All-Time Team
Despite the amount of negative things I’ve had to say so far, I don’t think it’s possible for anyone to create a Maple Leafs all-time team without facing criticism.
The TSN roster does have a decent amount of positions that are filled correctly based on the criteria they’ve put in place, especially on the defensive end. The only major change I would make on defense would be replacing Bob Baun with Thomas Kaberle.
Could there be more changed on the back end? Definitely. Could you make an argument within the next couple of seasons for Morgan Rielly to be included in this team? Absolutely. Was I hesitant to alter much more based on the fact that some of these players played more than five of my lifetimes ago? Bingo!
As for the forwards, this is where it gets a bit more controversial.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have a long history of great centremen, and to have Darryl Sittler and Doug Gilmour absent from this team just doesn’t seem right.
In his six seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Doug Gilmour produced the two greatest individual seasons in franchise history, scoring an unbelievable 238 points through 166 games between 1992-94.
As for Darryl Sittler, another fan favourite, he led the Maple Leafs in scoring eight times and sits second on the franchise’s all-time scoring list. I would elect to choose Sittler based on the fact that Gilmour had already established himself as an offensive talent many years before he became a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs, where Sittler grew into the legend he was in Toronto.
In terms of who either of these two would replace, well, that’s definitely not an easy discussion.
I still think you leave Matthews in the lineup regardless of the parameters of their selection process, and even at my age I cannot deny the greatness of Syl Apps.
As for Dave Keon, while he is regarded as one of the greatest Maple Leafs of all time, and was offensively consistent throughout the entirety of his career in Toronto, Sundin’s point production was better as the all-time franchise leader in points, and he was arguably a more valuable piece to the roster during his time.
After much consideration, I think the best decision would be to replace Dave Keon with Darryl Sittler, and unfortunately leave Gilmour off of the list. The wingers selected are pretty solid, and after this decision this leaves a centreman core of Apps, Sundin, Matthews and Sittler (in no particular order).
I can easily see an argument made for either player making the list, and this is why everyone should just stay away from all-time arguments for good!
Next. Toronto Maple Leafs All-Decade Team Roundtable. dark
It’s safe to say with the current Toronto Maple Leafs being one of the most highly controversial teams in the NHL, it would be best to leave the legends of the past, in the past. Comparisons from current to older players only cause people to try and place one’s legacy over another, and can do far more bad than good to a fanbase.